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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $909 in Loei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,490 in Loei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,072 in Loei.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 38% more expensive than in Loei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Loei 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$3.04 ฿102

294.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$27.69 ฿932

50.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$6.40 ฿215

67.97%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$2.09 ฿70.2

67.46%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$0.68 ฿22.81

113.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.35 ฿11.69

151.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$2.41 ฿81.1

22.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$3.63 ฿122

24.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.76 ฿59.3

-18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$1.33 ฿44.78

38.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.26 ฿42.30

24.60%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$2.13 ฿71.6

17.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$18.60 ฿626

-55.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$3.06 ฿103

175.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$10.99 ฿370

-2.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$3.27 ฿110

-20.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.27 ฿42.62

13.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.91 ฿64.2

2.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$1.57 ฿53.0

33.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$1.47 ฿49.37

25.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$1.19 ฿40.16

82.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$0.98 ฿33.12

5.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.48 ฿16.28

122.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$4.35 ฿146

-5.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$16.49 ฿555

-38.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$1.80 ฿60.5

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$2.65 ฿89.2

-4.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.94 ฿31.52

-45.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$1.10 ฿36.95

193.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$1.15 ฿38.66

109.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$6.23 ฿210

-48.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.28 ฿43.22

3.13%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$27.6K ฿928.9K

7.58%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$27.5K ฿925.5K

-13.96%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$76.6 ฿2,577

7.10%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$13.66 ฿460

68.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$18.24 ฿614

65.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$49.65 ฿1,671

4.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$12.09 ฿407

53.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$7.03 ฿236

-29.16%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$299 ฿10.1K

-33.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$9,615 ฿323.6K

-44.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$33.41 ฿1,124

6.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$35.25 ฿1,186

14.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$99.9 ฿3,362

-21.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$71.2 ฿2,395

24.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$421 ฿14.2K

124.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$287 ฿9,649

65.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$814 ฿27.4K

102.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$647 ฿21.8K

87.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$1,825 ฿61.4K

122.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$1,292 ฿43.5K

400.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.45

109.54%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Loei: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $421 in Loei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $28.00 in Loei. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $252, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 38% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $909 including rent). Loei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,363 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $421 in Loei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $299 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 $28.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $909 in Loei versus $1,256 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 38% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.