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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $976 in Lomas de Zamora.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,566 in Lomas de Zamora.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,156 in Lomas de Zamora.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 32% more expensive than Lomas de Zamora, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Lomas de Zamora 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$8.86 ARS 12.5K

34.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$30.06 ARS 42.3K

42.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$9.27 ARS 13.1K

14.24%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.05 ARS 2,883

76.59%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.96 ARS 2,755

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$1.52 ARS 2,140

-38.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$3.55 ARS 4,999

-12.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$4.09 ARS 5,753

9.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.22 ARS 1,721

17.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$2.05 ARS 2,887

-8.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.98 ARS 2,791

-17.68%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.43 ARS 3,423

8.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$12.16 ARS 17.1K

-32.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$5.86 ARS 8,252

41.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$9.29 ARS 13.1K

19.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$2.58 ARS 3,626

2.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$2.11 ARS 2,965

-28.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.29 ARS 1,822

54.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$2.73 ARS 3,841

-23.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.46 ARS 2,052

22.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.38 ARS 1,945

57.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.02 ARS 1,438

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$1.86 ARS 2,619

-44.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$3.30 ARS 4,651

20.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$4.98 ARS 7,017

104.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.30 ARS 1,829

33.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$3.16 ARS 4,449

-20.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.78 ARS 1,100

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$29.43 ARS 41.4K

-8.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.65 ARS 2,320

90.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.92 ARS 1,302

160.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$6.08 ARS 8,560

-49.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.13 ARS 1,585

12.39%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$24.3K ARS 34.2M

27.00%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$26.4K ARS 37.2M

-11.73%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$55.8 ARS 78.6K

46.87%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$18.37 ARS 25.9K

22.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$14.90 ARS 21.0K

99.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$26.10 ARS 36.7K

98.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$13.87 ARS 19.5K

34.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$9.26 ARS 13.0K

-46.33%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$298 ARS 420.0K

-33.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$3,430 ARS 4.8M

53.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$62.6 ARS 88.2K

-41.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$60.2 ARS 84.8K

-33.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$108 ARS 152.5K

-26.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$93.2 ARS 131.3K

-4.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$333 ARS 468.7K

189.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$242 ARS 340.4K

92.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$674 ARS 949.2K

136.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$540 ARS 759.8K

124.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$2,069 ARS 2.9M

90.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$1,781 ARS 2.5M

262.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$692 ARS 974.1K

4.14%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Lomas de Zamora: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $333 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: $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 $251 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 32% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $976 including rent). Lomas de Zamora is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 4% more on average, 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $333 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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $976 in Lomas de Zamora – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $976 in Lomas de Zamora versus $1,287 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 32% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.