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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $514 in Piliyandala, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $810 in Piliyandala, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,106 in Piliyandala, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 147% more than Piliyandala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Piliyandala are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Piliyandala 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.42 LKR 1,139

247.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$13.52 LKR 4,511

217.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.60 LKR 2,868

23.84%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.68 LKR 893

28.73%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.68 LKR 227

120.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.40 LKR 135

137.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.04 LKR 679

48.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.29 LKR 1,099

40.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.76 LKR 586

-21.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.53 LKR 176

249.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.87 LKR 291

85.06%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.23 LKR 744

16.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$13.82 LKR 4,609

-40.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.61 LKR 1,538

81.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.21 LKR 2,740

29.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$7.58 LKR 2,529

-65.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.11 LKR 371

34.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$5.87 LKR 1,957

-67.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.24 LKR 414

68.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.11 LKR 371

67.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.35 LKR 452

67.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.14 LKR 379

-7.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.55 LKR 185

98.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$9.96 LKR 3,324

-58.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$12.87 LKR 4,292

-19.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.00 LKR 666

-14.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.92 LKR 974

-10.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.41 LKR 138

663.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.36 LKR 118

597.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$0.61 LKR 205

416.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.25 LKR 418

1.60%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$26.8K LKR 8.9M

13.47%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$34.4K LKR 11.5M

-31.56%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$60.6 LKR 20.2K

36.96%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$4.42 LKR 1,475

413.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$15.24 LKR 5,084

93.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.45 LKR 1,150

42.90%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$36.95 LKR 12.3K

433.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$438 LKR 146.0K

1106.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$28.06 LKR 9,361

31.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$19.67 LKR 6,560

102.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$68.1 LKR 22.7K

17.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$38.22 LKR 12.8K

134.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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 7, 2026

Last update for Piliyandala: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $14.00 in Piliyandala. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $257 in Piliyandala – 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 Piliyandala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $514 in Piliyandala – roughly 147% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $771 in Piliyandala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $14.00 in Piliyandala. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% 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 Piliyandala, where all-in costs run around $514, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Piliyandala 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 $514 in Piliyandala to $1,271 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 Piliyandala. 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.