Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Lomas de Zamora Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Lomas de Zamora

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,205 in Lomas de Zamora.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,981 in Lomas de Zamora.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,756 in Lomas de Zamora.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 8% more expensive than in Lomas de Zamora, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Lomas de Zamora 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$9.93 ARS 15.0K

20.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$52.3 ARS 78.8K

-9.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$11.46 ARS 17.3K

2.53%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$3.41 ARS 5,137

20.82%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$2.15 ARS 3,236

-34.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$1.70 ARS 2,563

-46.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$3.63 ARS 5,476

-11.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.61 ARS 6,961

53.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.31 ARS 1,983

28.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.98 ARS 2,981

8.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.52 ARS 2,291

16.45%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.78 ARS 4,197

1.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$10.45 ARS 15.8K

-11.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$10.04 ARS 15.1K

-8.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$13.85 ARS 20.9K

-8.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.75 ARS 4,143

7.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.99 ARS 3,000

-20.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.34 ARS 2,024

65.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$2.10 ARS 3,171

12.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.17 ARS 1,772

70.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.14 ARS 1,720

73.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.36 ARS 2,044

-8.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$1.72 ARS 2,591

-29.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$3.34 ARS 5,038

37.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$5.20 ARS 7,842

102.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.71 ARS 2,579

-1.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.64 ARS 3,980

4.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$1.06 ARS 1,602

-43.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$26.45 ARS 39.9K

12.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.62 ARS 2,451

223.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.01 ARS 1,529

261.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$7.54 ARS 11.4K

-23.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.33 ARS 2,012

15.79%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$16.5K ARS 24.9M

38.40%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$29.5K ARS 44.4M

-12.38%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$97.9 ARS 147.6K

-7.36%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$20.31 ARS 30.6K

24.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$27.53 ARS 41.5K

15.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$30.24 ARS 45.6K

127.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$33.74 ARS 50.9K

-12.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$8.23 ARS 12.4K

-40.95%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$298 ARS 450.2K

-24.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$7,437 ARS 11.2M

-43.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$112 ARS 169.2K

-57.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$93.4 ARS 140.8K

-53.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$118 ARS 177.3K

-31.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$98.1 ARS 148.0K

-6.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$475 ARS 717.2K

128.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$318 ARS 479.7K

28.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$930 ARS 1.4M

112.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$725 ARS 1.1M

76.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$3,018 ARS 4.6M

34.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,506 ARS 2.3M

345.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$743 ARS 1.1M

4.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

56.56

-79.76%

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 Lomas de Zamora: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $475 in Lomas de Zamora. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 4% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $52.0 in Lomas de Zamora. Groceries flip the comparison at $278 vs $271, with Lomas de Zamora 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 Lomas de Zamora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Lomas de Zamora differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $1,205 including rent). Lomas de Zamora is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $475 in Lomas de Zamora. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lomas de Zamora – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,205 in Lomas de Zamora – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,205 in Lomas de Zamora versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lomas de Zamora but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Lomas de Zamora 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 Lomas de Zamora 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 Lomas de Zamora gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.