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 $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $493 in Mirissa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,336 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $808 in Mirissa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,341 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,122 in Mirissa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 170% 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 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$4.38 LKR 1,446

197.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$25.84 LKR 8,523

78.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$7.44 LKR 2,454

69.22%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$2.37 LKR 783

68.78%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$0.69 LKR 226

105.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.25 LKR 81.5

224.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$2.16 LKR 711

41.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$2.92 LKR 964

133.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.60 LKR 528

6.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$0.47 LKR 154

372.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$0.74 LKR 244

132.43%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$1.55 LKR 513

74.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$12.82 LKR 4,228

-26.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$4.88 LKR 1,609

81.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$6.90 LKR 2,277

85.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$6.90 LKR 2,277

-54.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$0.86 LKR 283

80.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$4.56 LKR 1,504

-52.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$1.26 LKR 416

86.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$1.01 LKR 333

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$0.79 LKR 262

151.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$0.88 LKR 289

40.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.48 LKR 157

147.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$10.16 LKR 3,352

-54.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$13.45 LKR 4,435

-22.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$1.93 LKR 637

-18.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$2.63 LKR 869

11.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$0.38 LKR 125

1300.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$0.37 LKR 123

905.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$0.92 LKR 303

528.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.24 LKR 410

25.00%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$29.9K LKR 9.9M

-25.12%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$39.1K LKR 12.9M

-34.54%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$53.2 LKR 17.6K

67.69%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$4.02 LKR 1,325

479.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$20.85 LKR 6,877

52.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$4.29 LKR 1,416

17.95%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$37.54 LKR 12.4K

491.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$1,216 LKR 401.1K

253.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$19.61 LKR 6,468

135.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$16.33 LKR 5,388

172.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$79.1 LKR 26.1K

20.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$42.17 LKR 13.9K

119.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

12.69

-8.59%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Mirissa: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $26.00 in Mirissa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $233 – making Mirissa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen, $493 in Mirissa – roughly 170% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,995 per month in Playa del Carmen and $740 in Mirissa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen and $26.00 in Mirissa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mirissa, where all-in costs run around $493, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,330. 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 $493 in Mirissa to $1,330 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.