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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $398 in Negombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $648 in Negombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $898 in Negombo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 218% more expensive than in Negombo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Negombo 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.34 LKR 1,436

167.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$16.72 LKR 5,530

181.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.74 LKR 2,559

53.49%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$1.29 LKR 426

208.53%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.74 LKR 246

93.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.25 LKR 81.9

228.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$2.27 LKR 752

40.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.07 LKR 1,016

121.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.58 LKR 521

6.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$0.58 LKR 191

279.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$0.76 LKR 252

125.00%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.66 LKR 547

65.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$13.04 LKR 4,312

-26.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.22 LKR 1,396

113.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$6.04 LKR 1,997

112.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$1.82 LKR 600

58.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$0.68 LKR 226

120.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$2.23 LKR 736

-3.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.21 LKR 401

86.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$0.73 LKR 241

171.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$0.75 LKR 247

165.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.90 LKR 297

36.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.48 LKR 160

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$10.21 LKR 3,375

-55.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$13.48 LKR 4,457

-23.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.90 LKR 628

-14.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$2.77 LKR 917

3.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.31 LKR 103

93.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.38 LKR 126

1318.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.36 LKR 119

936.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$0.89 LKR 294

548.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.05 LKR 347

46.67%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$30.1K LKR 9.9M

-25.02%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$42.3K LKR 14.0M

-38.39%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$25.91 LKR 8,566

252.68%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$4.26 LKR 1,408

491.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$21.26 LKR 7,031

46.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$15.30 LKR 5,058

339.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$9.32 LKR 3,083

212.34%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$2.45 LKR 811

98.37%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$37.62 LKR 12.4K

494.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$460 LKR 152.1K

819.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$8.89 LKR 2,940

429.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$16.80 LKR 5,554

163.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$37.16 LKR 12.3K

115.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$24.13 LKR 7,980

284.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$180 LKR 59.7K

320.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

12.69

-9.77%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Negombo: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Playa del Carmen pays 320% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $17.00 in Negombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $193 per month, with Negombo 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 Negombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Negombo wins on cost – living expenses run 218% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Negombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 320% 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.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $37.62 in Negombo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Negombo – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $398 in Negombo versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Negombo but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Negombo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Negombo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $398 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Negombo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Negombo 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 Negombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 218% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.