Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Lviv Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Lviv

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,047 in Lviv.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,543 in Lviv.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,040 in Lviv.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 21% more expensive than in Lviv, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Lviv 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$6.59 ₴294

76.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$35.88 ₴1,602

31.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.56 ₴293

81.10%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.22 ₴99.0

79.28%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.25 ₴55.7

14.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$1.33 ₴59.2

-38.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.52 ₴113

26.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.98 ₴133

127.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.24 ₴55.2

35.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.86 ₴38.24

155.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.74 ₴77.7

-1.72%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.08 ₴92.8

31.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$8.87 ₴396

8.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.67 ₴208

92.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.81 ₴349

64.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.32 ₴59.0

118.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.60 ₴71.3

-6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.84 ₴82.2

16.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$2.77 ₴124

-18.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.77 ₴34.58

157.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.52 ₴23.18

282.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.38 ₴61.4

-10.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.57 ₴25.48

110.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.97 ₴133

53.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$6.25 ₴279

65.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$0.98 ₴43.91

65.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.50 ₴67.1

92.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.58 ₴26.00

3.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$20.53 ₴916

40.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$2.94 ₴131

83.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.35 ₴15.73

965.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$4.25 ₴190

35.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.69 ₴75.6

-8.88%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$29.4K ₴1.3M

-23.38%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$25.4K ₴1.1M

2.53%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$84.3 ₴3,763

8.40%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$5.95 ₴266

323.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$7.15 ₴319

336.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$31.42 ₴1,403

113.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$14.48 ₴646

101.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$4.80 ₴214

1.25%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$328 ₴14.7K

-31.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$7,093 ₴316.6K

-40.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$85.3 ₴3,806

-44.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$44.08 ₴1,968

0.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$97.7 ₴4,359

-17.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$101 ₴4,507

-8.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$519 ₴23.2K

104.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$419 ₴18.7K

-6.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$932 ₴41.6K

130.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$630 ₴28.1K

101.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$2,018 ₴90.1K

98.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,290 ₴57.6K

403.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$644 ₴28.7K

17.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

13.33

-14.10%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Lviv: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $519 in Lviv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 18% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $36.00 in Lviv for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $183 per month, with Lviv 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 Lviv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Lviv differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $1,047 including rent). Lviv is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $519 in Lviv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $328 in Lviv. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,047 in Lviv versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lviv but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Lviv 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 Lviv 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 Lviv gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.