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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $946 in Lomas de Zamora.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,556 in Lomas de Zamora.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,165 in Lomas de Zamora.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 34% more expensive than Lomas de Zamora, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Lomas de Zamora 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$9.18 ARS 13.1K

29.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$30.04 ARS 42.9K

42.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$9.06 ARS 12.9K

17.55%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.01 ARS 2,873

71.64%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.98 ARS 2,827

-24.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$1.52 ARS 2,169

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.63 ARS 5,183

-16.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.06 ARS 5,800

13.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.28 ARS 1,833

7.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.97 ARS 2,815

-6.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.04 ARS 2,911

-21.08%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.36 ARS 3,369

9.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$11.95 ARS 17.1K

-30.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.00 ARS 8,575

39.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.56 ARS 13.6K

11.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.47 ARS 3,525

6.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.18 ARS 3,119

-31.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.25 ARS 1,792

53.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.60 ARS 3,714

-19.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.48 ARS 2,120

25.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.43 ARS 2,037

58.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.99 ARS 1,409

7.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.81 ARS 2,580

-39.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.19 ARS 4,562

30.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.95 ARS 8,496

74.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.29 ARS 1,843

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.03 ARS 4,334

-13.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.76 ARS 1,090

-28.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$30.16 ARS 43.1K

-10.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.57 ARS 2,242

99.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.93 ARS 1,329

169.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.11 ARS 8,733

-48.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.15 ARS 1,643

10.43%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$23.6K ARS 33.7M

28.69%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$25.6K ARS 36.6M

-8.04%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$55.1 ARS 78.7K

50.74%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$18.69 ARS 26.7K

21.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$14.73 ARS 21.0K

100.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$25.69 ARS 36.7K

98.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$13.83 ARS 19.8K

32.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$8.90 ARS 12.7K

-44.61%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$299 ARS 426.6K

-33.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,537 ARS 5.1M

49.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$62.3 ARS 89.0K

-40.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$59.5 ARS 85.1K

-33.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$109 ARS 155.0K

-26.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$96.2 ARS 137.4K

-6.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$344 ARS 491.1K

178.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$234 ARS 333.7K

104.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$690 ARS 986.2K

138.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$548 ARS 782.4K

123.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,038 ARS 2.9M

92.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,770 ARS 2.5M

265.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$703 ARS 1.0M

-5.08%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lomas de Zamora: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $344 in Lomas de Zamora. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lomas de Zamora pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $30.00 in Lomas de Zamora for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $245 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 34% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $946 including rent). Lomas de Zamora is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lomas de Zamora earns 5% less. 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $344 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $946 in Lomas de Zamora – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $946 in Lomas de Zamora versus $1,271 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 34% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.