Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Maharagama

For one person, living is cheaper in Maharagama: $131 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Maharagama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $131 in Maharagama, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Maharagama $131

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $246 in Maharagama, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Maharagama $246

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $361 in Maharagama, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Maharagama $361

Playa del Carmen costs about 820% more than Maharagama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Maharagama are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Maharagama 90% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$5.30 LKR 1,761

101.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$20.24 LKR 6,733

116.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$6.67 LKR 2,220

76.76%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$2.11 LKR 702

79.62%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$0.64 LKR 213

103.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$0.29 LKR 95.3

186.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$0.87 LKR 288

62.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$0.23 LKR 76.1

856.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$0.50 LKR 167

194.00%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.47

$1.42 LKR 474

76.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.36

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.78

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.69

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.06

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$0.44 LKR 146

981.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$0.46 LKR 154

606.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

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

$23.19 MX$431

$4.55 LKR 1,514

409.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$13.38 LKR 4,450

106.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

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

$207 MX$3,854

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$198 LKR 65.9K

744.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$240 LKR 79.7K

247.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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 Maharagama: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Maharagama

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Maharagama

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Maharagama

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Maharagama

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Maharagama

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Maharagama

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Maharagama

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 3.5 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $20 in Maharagama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $19 – making Maharagama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇱🇰 Maharagama

🕒 Local time

16:15 4:15 PM

02:45 2:45 AM

10 h 30 min ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

196,400

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 374 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.67 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Maharagama 16,650 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Maharagama

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 Maharagama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 820%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $196 in Maharagama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 1281% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen and $20 in Maharagama. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Maharagama, where all-in costs run around $131, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Maharagama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Maharagama costs $131 versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Maharagama. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.