Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Lourdes

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,830 in Lourdes, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Lourdes, France
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Lourdes
🇫🇷 France
$1,830
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,830 in Lourdes, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Lourdes $1,830

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,824 in Lourdes, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Lourdes $2,824

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,817 in Lourdes, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Lourdes $3,817

Playa del Carmen is about 34% cheaper than Lourdes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Lourdes is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Lourdes
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$199
$16.58 €14.83
-35.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$815
$66.6 €59.6
-34.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$219
$13.29 €11.88
-11.29%
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$70.5
$3.72 €3.33
1.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.14
$3.15 €2.82
-58.73%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.51
$1.82 €1.63
-54.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$58.6
$7.20 €6.44
-56.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$91.8
$5.61 €5.01
-12.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Lourdes
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$1.30 €1.16
8.46%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$40.86
$1.89 €1.69
16.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.40
$2.56 €2.29
-42.58%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.46
$4.24 €3.79
-41.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$136
$19.10 €17.08
-61.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$148
$12.23 €10.94
-35.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$239
$21.97 €19.65
-41.47%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.9
$3.05 €2.73
-4.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.74
$2.18 €1.95
-36.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.35
$2.82 €2.52
-11.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.77
$3.22 €2.88
-36.96%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.68
$1.91 €1.71
5.76%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.42
$2.19 €1.96
-13.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.30
$1.45 €1.30
-21.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.05
$0.74 €0.66
67.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$79.5
$13.88 €12.41
-69.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$183
$7.93 €7.09
23.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.51
$2.75 €2.46
-42.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.1
$3.44 €3.08
-20.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Lourdes
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.58
$1.73 €1.55
-70.52%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$510
$49.23 €44.02
-44.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$88.6
$5.11 €4.57
-6.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$60.5
$2.14 €1.91
51.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$100
$32.82 €29.35
-83.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.44
$2.17 €1.94
-29.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$394.8K
$34.7K €31.0K
-38.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$432.9K
$37.0K €33.1K
-37.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Lourdes
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,554
$204 €182
-59.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$431
$15.81 €14.14
46.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$514
$31.25 €27.94
-11.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Lourdes
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,050
$35.17 €31.44
60.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$525
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.1
$13.44 €12.02
-62.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Lourdes
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,854
$815 €729
-74.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$97.3K
$10.5K €9,391
-50.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Lourdes
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$809
$94.1 €84.1
-53.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$792
$42.06 €37.61
1.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,354
$103 €92.4
-29.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,645
$132 €118
-33.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Lourdes
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.5K
$767 €686
29.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,116
$633 €566
-39.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.2K
$1,444 €1,291
15.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.1K
$1,160 €1,038
-6.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$72.7K
$4,187 €3,744
-6.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$114.2K
$3,086 €2,760
98.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Lourdes
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.5K
$2,095 €1,873
-60.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
3.79
202.11%

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 Lourdes: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Lourdes
$633 65.7% $251
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Lourdes
$360 40% $103
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Lourdes
$284 42% $84
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Lourdes
$251 86.8% $117
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Lourdes
$167 50.5% $56
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Lourdes
$62 6.6% $4.4
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Lourdes
$72 42.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $767 in Lourdes. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Lourdes are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $67 in Lourdes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $360 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇫🇷 Lourdes
🕒 Local time
17:49 5:49 PM
23:49 11:49 PM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
13,509
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Lourdes 8,230 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Lourdes

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 Lourdes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Playa del Carmen and in Lourdes compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, $1,830 in Lourdes – Playa del Carmen comes out roughly 34% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Playa del Carmen compared to Lourdes?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,746 in Lourdes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Playa del Carmen and Lourdes?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lourdes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $767 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen and $67 in Lourdes. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Playa del Carmen or Lourdes?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $1,830 in Lourdes. That makes Playa del Carmen about 34% cheaper.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Lourdes at $1,830. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lourdes it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Lourdes?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $1,830 in Lourdes. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Playa del Carmen and Lourdes?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lourdes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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