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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $665 in Mirissa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $915 in Mirissa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,084 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,166 in Mirissa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 95% more than Mirissa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Mirissa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Mirissa 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$2.96 LKR 985

296.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$25.08 LKR 8,352

66.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$8.46 LKR 2,816

23.05%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$2.53 LKR 843

42.69%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$0.56 LKR 186

160.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.41 LKR 135

136.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$2.32 LKR 774

25.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$3.08 LKR 1,024

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.76 LKR 586

-18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$0.53 LKR 175

258.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$0.86 LKR 287

82.56%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$2.14 LKR 713

23.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$13.88 LKR 4,622

-39.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$4.77 LKR 1,589

79.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$7.99 LKR 2,661

37.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$7.31 LKR 2,435

-63.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.07 LKR 355

41.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$5.92 LKR 1,972

-67.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$1.26 LKR 419

72.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$1.11 LKR 370

68.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$1.38 LKR 459

61.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.14 LKR 380

-5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.59 LKR 197

81.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$10.08 LKR 3,357

-58.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$12.96 LKR 4,315

-20.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$2.01 LKR 669

-16.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.98 LKR 991

-15.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$0.42 LKR 138

661.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$0.33 LKR 108

645.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$0.48 LKR 158

566.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.18 LKR 394

11.86%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$26.4K LKR 8.8M

14.32%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$34.8K LKR 11.6M

-32.81%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$60.8 LKR 20.2K

33.78%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$3.43 LKR 1,141

553.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$14.93 LKR 4,971

100.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$3.31 LKR 1,104

55.89%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$37.26 LKR 12.4K

441.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$449 LKR 149.6K

1082.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$27.47 LKR 9,147

29.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$19.73 LKR 6,570

104.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$69.0 LKR 23.0K

13.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$37.99 LKR 12.7K

128.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$243 LKR 80.9K

291.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$150 LKR 50.0K

218.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$577 LKR 192.1K

180.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

16.45

-30.58%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Mirissa: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $243 in Mirissa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $25.00 in Mirissa. Groceries tell a different story – $254 in Playa del Carmen vs $257 in Mirissa – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Mirissa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, $665 in Mirissa – roughly 95% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,941 per month in Playa del Carmen and $998 in Mirissa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mirissa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $25.00 in Mirissa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mirissa, where all-in costs run around $665, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,294. In Mirissa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $665 in Mirissa to $1,294 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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