Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Lomza

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,507 in Lomza, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lomza outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Lomza, Poland
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Lomza
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,507
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Lomza actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,507 in Lomza.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Lomza $1,507

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,150 in Lomza.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Lomza $2,150

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,792 in Lomza.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Lomza $2,792

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 20% less than in Lomza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Lomza is 11% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Lomza
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$199
$9.60 zł 37.53
11.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$815
$46.68 zł 182
-6.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$219
$8.63 zł 33.73
36.62%
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$70.5
$3.56 zł 13.91
6.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.14
$2.72 zł 10.62
-52.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.51
$2.63 zł 10.29
-68.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$58.6
$4.46 zł 17.42
-29.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$91.8
$4.99 zł 19.48
-1.20%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Lomza
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$1.01 zł 3.96
39.60%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$40.86
$1.10 zł 4.30
100.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.40
$1.37 zł 5.36
7.30%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.47
$3.43 zł 13.39
-27.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$136
$10.45 zł 40.83
-30.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$148
$7.03 zł 27.46
13.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$239
$11.64 zł 45.47
10.48%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.9
$1.19 zł 4.67
143.70%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.74
$1.60 zł 6.26
-13.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.36
$2.29 zł 8.96
8.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.78
$2.98 zł 11.63
-31.88%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.69
$0.82 zł 3.21
146.34%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.42
$0.92 zł 3.58
106.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.30
$1.34 zł 5.23
-14.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.06
$0.62 zł 2.43
100.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$79.5
$5.57 zł 21.77
-23.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$183
$6.64 zł 25.94
47.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.51
$1.09 zł 4.25
45.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.1
$1.74 zł 6.82
58.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Lomza
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.58
$1.09 zł 4.25
-53.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$510
$29.37 zł 115
-6.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$88.6
$1.58 zł 6.16
201.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$60.5
$0.57 zł 2.24
470.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$100
$9.20 zł 35.96
-41.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.44
$1.59 zł 6.23
-3.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$394.8K
$30.8K zł 120.3K
-31.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$432.9K
$27.6K zł 107.7K
-15.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Lomza
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,554
$306 zł 1,197
-72.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$431
$8.56 zł 33.47
170.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$514
$17.23 zł 67.4
60.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Lomza
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,050
$38.01 zł 149
48.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$525
$22.07 zł 86.2
27.73%
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.1
$8.09 zł 31.60
-38.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Lomza
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,854
$507 zł 1,982
-59.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$97.4K
$10.4K zł 40.8K
-49.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Lomza
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$809
$73.4 zł 287
-40.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$792
$40.73 zł 159
4.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,354
$88.8 zł 347
-18.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,645
$94.8 zł 370
-6.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Lomza
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.5K
$585 zł 2,284
70.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,116
$529 zł 2,068
-27.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.2K
$953 zł 3,724
75.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.1K
$803 zł 3,137
34.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$72.7K
$2,932 zł 11.5K
33.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$114.2K
$2,198 zł 8,590
179.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Lomza
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
6.87
66.67%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Lomza: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Lomza
$529 38.4% $147
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Lomza
$221 14.3% $37
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Lomza
$199 0.6% $1.2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Lomza
$332 147% $198
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Lomza
$134 20.5% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Lomza
$54 18.5% $12
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Lomza
$38 24.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $585 in Lomza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $47 in Lomza. Groceries flip the comparison at $257 vs $221, with Lomza cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇵🇱 Lomza
🕒 Local time
18:42 6:42 PM
00:42 12:42 AM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
62,711
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3.91 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.4 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Lomza 9,380 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Lomza

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 Lomza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Lomza?
Playa del Carmen is about 20% cheaper overall, especially in clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,804 in Playa del Carmen and $2,261 in Lomza to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Playa del Carmen and Lomza?
Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $585 in Lomza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 7% less than in Lomza. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $507 in Lomza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Lomza?
At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,507 in Lomza, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Lomza. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Lomza?
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.

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