Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Loei Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Loei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $950 in Loei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,536 in Loei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,122 in Loei.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 37% more expensive than in Loei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Loei 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.36 ฿111

255.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$25.27 ฿836

87.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$8.37 ฿277

40.38%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.1

$2.26 ฿74.8

82.30%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.78

$0.64 ฿21.29

118.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$0.31 ฿10.15

193.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

$2.05 ฿67.7

56.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.36 ฿111

110.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.49

$2.10 ฿69.4

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$1.43 ฿47.24

50.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$1.36 ฿44.96

30.15%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.83

$1.87 ฿61.7

50.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$15.30 ฿506

-39.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$2.80 ฿92.7

229.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$10.74 ฿355

17.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.95 ฿97.7

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.83

$1.17 ฿38.60

35.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$2.11 ฿69.7

5.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.15

$1.67 ฿55.2

41.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.86

$1.49 ฿49.15

33.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.63

$1.24 ฿41.06

59.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$1.27 ฿42.14

-2.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$0.57 ฿18.91

112.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$3.85 ฿127

19.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

$17.94 ฿593

-41.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

$1.74 ฿57.4

-2.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

$2.47 ฿81.9

12.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.24

$1.00 ฿33.21

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$1.49 ฿49.28

251.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

$1.28 ฿42.43

185.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$4.12 ฿136

40.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$1.26 ฿41.75

22.22%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$29.7K ฿983.3K

-23.32%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$26.6K ฿880.5K

-3.05%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$90.7 MX$1,540

$82.6 ฿2,731

9.78%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.19 MX$428

$10.39 ฿344

142.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$19.92 ฿659

59.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

$41.11 ฿1,359

67.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

$13.25 ฿438

121.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$6.21 ฿205

-21.74%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$226 MX$3,834

$560 ฿18.5K

-59.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$11.1K ฿366.0K

-62.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$50.5 ฿1,670

-6.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

$26.58 ฿879

63.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$77.5 ฿2,561

3.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$71.6 ฿2,366

27.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$478 ฿15.8K

127.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,943

$291 ฿9,613

40.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,408 ฿46.6K

40.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

$652 ฿21.6K

96.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

$2,181 ฿72.1K

85.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

$1,693 ฿56.0K

295.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.57

105.57%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Loei: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $478 in Loei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Loei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $247 per month, with Loei cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Playa del Carmen vs Loei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Loei differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $950 including rent). Loei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,425 in Loei to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $478 in Loei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $560 in Loei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Loei – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $950 in Loei versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Loei but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Loei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Loei are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Loei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.