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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $665 in Mirissa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $923 in Mirissa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,182 in Mirissa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 93% more than Mirissa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Mirissa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Mirissa 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$2.96 LKR 943

303.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$25.16 LKR 8,024

69.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$8.18 LKR 2,609

29.46%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.53 LKR 807

43.08%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.59 LKR 188

149.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.41 LKR 129

129.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.39 LKR 762

29.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.07 LKR 978

45.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.75 LKR 559

-18.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.56 LKR 179

235.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$0.87 LKR 279

87.36%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.11 LKR 673

25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$14.02 LKR 4,472

-41.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.69 LKR 1,495

76.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$8.21 LKR 2,619

35.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$7.26 LKR 2,316

-63.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.06 LKR 339

41.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$5.66 LKR 1,806

-64.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.27 LKR 404

63.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.15 LKR 367

55.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.38 LKR 440

57.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.16 LKR 370

-6.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.57 LKR 181

82.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$9.96 LKR 3,176

-60.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$12.51 LKR 3,990

-18.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.04 LKR 651

-15.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$3.00 LKR 956

-16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.42 LKR 133

647.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.33 LKR 104

627.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$0.52 LKR 166

494.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.19 LKR 379

6.72%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$27.1K LKR 8.6M

13.98%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$35.4K LKR 11.3M

-34.12%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$61.1 LKR 19.5K

34.18%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$3.26 LKR 1,039

588.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$15.28 LKR 4,873

94.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$3.33 LKR 1,061

49.25%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$36.23 LKR 11.6K

445.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$443 LKR 141.2K

1091.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$27.21 LKR 8,677

33.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$19.11 LKR 6,094

109.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$68.6 LKR 21.9K

16.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$38.95 LKR 12.4K

128.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$244 LKR 77.9K

294.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$152 LKR 48.5K

205.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$577 LKR 184.0K

176.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Mirissa: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $244 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $25.00 in Mirissa. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $256 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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, $665 in Mirissa – roughly 93% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 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 $43.00 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 2% 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 $1,287. 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 $1,287 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.