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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $910 in Lviv.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,340 in Lviv.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,771 in Lviv.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 38% more expensive than in Lviv, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Lviv 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$7.19 ₴321

66.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$29.12 ₴1,299

43.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$5.28 ₴236

103.60%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$1.61 ₴72.0

117.39%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$0.65 ₴28.96

123.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.43 ₴19.17

104.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$1.31 ₴58.3

125.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$1.73 ₴77.4

160.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.08 ₴48.15

32.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$0.75 ₴33.24

145.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.57 ₴70.1

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$1.85 ₴82.6

35.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$8.36 ₴373

-0.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$4.31 ₴192

95.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$7.41 ₴331

44.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$0.98 ₴43.53

166.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.50 ₴66.8

-4.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.66 ₴74.0

18.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$2.27 ₴101

-7.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$0.73 ₴32.46

153.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$0.53 ₴23.65

309.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$1.32 ₴59.0

-21.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.54 ₴24.02

98.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$2.48 ₴111

65.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$5.97 ₴266

70.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$0.80 ₴35.79

110.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$1.35 ₴60.4

87.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.61 ₴27.39

-16.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$10.03 ₴447

159.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$2.81 ₴126

14.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$0.23 ₴10.25

947.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$4.28 ₴191

-24.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.38 ₴61.6

-4.35%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$30.6K ₴1.4M

-3.02%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$22.1K ₴984.0K

7.30%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$86.2 ₴3,846

-4.87%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$4.98 ₴222

360.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$6.30 ₴281

377.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$26.27 ₴1,172

97.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$9.94 ₴444

86.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$4.88 ₴218

2.05%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$298 ₴13.3K

-33.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$6,144 ₴274.1K

-13.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$58.8 ₴2,622

-39.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$34.75 ₴1,551

16.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$100 ₴4,476

-21.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$88.3 ₴3,940

0.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$488 ₴21.8K

94.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$345 ₴15.4K

37.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$815 ₴36.4K

101.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$553 ₴24.7K

118.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$2,049 ₴91.4K

97.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$1,304 ₴58.2K

396.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

$639 ₴28.5K

2.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

13.43

-14.97%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lviv: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $488 in Lviv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 2% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $29.00 in Lviv for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $166 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 38% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $910 including rent). Lviv is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $488 in Lviv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $298 in Lviv. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $910 in Lviv versus $1,256 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 38% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.