Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Loja

For one person, living is cheaper in Loja: $681 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Loja
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Loja Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Loja

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$681

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Loja

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Loja actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $681 in Loja, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Loja $681

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,074 in Loja, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Loja $1,074

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,468 in Loja, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Loja $1,468

Playa del Carmen costs about 77% more than Loja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Loja are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Loja 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$3.05 $3.05

258.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$20.66 $20.66

109.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$5.61 $5.61

109.98%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$2.22 $2.22

71.62%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$0.78 $0.78

64.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.43 $0.43

81.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$1.22 $1.22

159.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$3.23 $3.23

52.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$1.02 $1.02

38.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$1.48 $1.48

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$1.32 $1.32

7.58%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$1.92 $1.92

31.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$5.60 $5.60

29.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$4.29 $4.29

79.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$6.07 $6.07

109.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$1.69 $1.69

64.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$1.09 $1.09

25.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$1.20 $1.20

112.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$1.12 $1.12

89.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$1.06 $1.06

83.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$1.03 $1.03

83.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$0.52 $0.52

121.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$1.11 $1.11

6.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$5.23 $5.23

-17.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$6.82 $6.82

45.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$1.53 $1.53

3.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$2.93 $2.93

-8.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.33 $0.33

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$30.52 $30.52

-12.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$1.24 $1.24

300.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$1.08 $1.08

208.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$9.86 $9.86

-45.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$0.74 $0.74

94.59%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$15.0K $15.0K

37.35%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$28.5K $28.5K

-17.71%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$19.98 $19.98

324.37%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$11.49 $11.49

103.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$27.07 $27.07

5.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$29.70 $29.70

92.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$15.03 $15.03

92.35%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$7.26 $7.26

-29.20%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$180 $180

14.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$1,965 $1,965

99.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$52.8 $52.8

-17.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$47.86 $47.86

-13.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$79.9 $79.9

-7.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$73.1 $73.1

22.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$240 $240

308.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$172 $172

121.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$377 $377

352.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$315 $315

241.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$559 $559

605.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$324 $324

1801.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$506 $506

45.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.5

34.71%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Loja: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Loja

$172 25.3% 54.8% $209

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Loja

$168 24.6% 34.2% $87

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Loja

$85 12.5% 57.8% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Loja

$59 8.6% 57.2% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Loja

$114 16.8% 2.2% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Loja

$44 6.5% 34.3% $23

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Loja

$38 5.7% 23.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $240 in Loja. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 45% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $21 in Loja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $168 – making Loja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇪🇨 Loja

🕒 Local time

02:56 2:56 AM

Same time as Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

180,617

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Loja 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Loja

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Loja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $681 in Loja – Loja comes out roughly 43% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,021 in Loja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Loja, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $240 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $180 in Loja. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Loja, where all-in costs run around $681, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Loja it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Loja – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Loja. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.