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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $967 in Lomas de Zamora.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,558 in Lomas de Zamora.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,149 in Lomas de Zamora.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 30% more expensive than in Lomas de Zamora, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Lomas de Zamora 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$8.95 ARS 13.4K

30.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$30.38 ARS 45.4K

37.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$8.83 ARS 13.2K

19.03%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$1.95 ARS 2,922

84.10%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$1.97 ARS 2,946

-23.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$1.53 ARS 2,288

-39.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$3.53 ARS 5,280

-16.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$3.93 ARS 5,880

12.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.28 ARS 1,911

9.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$1.96 ARS 2,923

-4.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$2.02 ARS 3,013

-22.77%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$2.38 ARS 3,561

9.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$12.28 ARS 18.4K

-32.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$6.03 ARS 9,013

38.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$9.60 ARS 14.3K

13.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$2.45 ARS 3,668

10.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$2.10 ARS 3,133

-28.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$1.30 ARS 1,941

43.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$2.64 ARS 3,944

-17.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$1.51 ARS 2,257

23.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$1.37 ARS 2,056

62.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$1.03 ARS 1,537

3.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$1.81 ARS 2,704

-39.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$3.18 ARS 4,758

31.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$5.91 ARS 8,834

76.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.30 ARS 1,937

27.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$3.15 ARS 4,712

-17.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.83 ARS 1,241

-34.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

$29.49 ARS 44.1K

-11.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$1.56 ARS 2,331

97.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$0.93 ARS 1,384

158.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$5.99 ARS 8,955

-47.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.17 ARS 1,754

11.97%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$24.1K ARS 36.0M

23.61%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$26.5K ARS 39.6M

-11.95%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$55.2 ARS 82.5K

47.30%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$18.25 ARS 27.3K

23.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$15.20 ARS 22.7K

97.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$26.30 ARS 39.3K

101.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$13.66 ARS 20.4K

34.63%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$8.95 ARS 13.4K

-45.03%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$297 ARS 444.7K

-32.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$3,536 ARS 5.3M

46.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$61.2 ARS 91.4K

-41.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$59.8 ARS 89.4K

-32.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$109 ARS 162.8K

-26.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$93.5 ARS 139.8K

-7.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$337 ARS 503.2K

190.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$233 ARS 347.8K

102.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$675 ARS 1.0M

144.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$541 ARS 809.3K

122.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$2,320 ARS 3.5M

70.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$1,535 ARS 2.3M

330.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

$696 ARS 1.0M

-2.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

52.71

-78.33%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Lomas de Zamora: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $337 in Lomas de Zamora. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lomas de Zamora pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $30.00 in Lomas de Zamora for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $247 per month, with Lomas de Zamora 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 Lomas de Zamora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Lomas de Zamora differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $967 including rent). Lomas de Zamora is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Lomas de Zamora. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $337 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 $30.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $967 in Lomas de Zamora – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $967 in Lomas de Zamora versus $1,260 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 30% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.