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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $531 in Ratnapura, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $838 in Ratnapura, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,145 in Ratnapura, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 139% more than Ratnapura, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ratnapura are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ratnapura 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$2.21 LKR 737

437.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$10.19 LKR 3,399

321.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.55 LKR 2,184

62.60%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.40 LKR 800

43.75%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.80 LKR 267

87.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.52 LKR 173

82.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.12 LKR 706

42.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.02 LKR 1,008

52.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.98 LKR 661

-30.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.83 LKR 277

122.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.72 LKR 239

123.61%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.19 LKR 399

117.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$16.56 LKR 5,523

-50.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.21 LKR 2,404

16.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$17.39 LKR 5,799

-38.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$4.59 LKR 1,532

-42.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.78 LKR 259

91.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$4.74 LKR 1,583

-59.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.08 LKR 361

93.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.17 LKR 389

58.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.58 LKR 528

43.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.53 LKR 176

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.48 LKR 159

127.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$14.80 LKR 4,936

-71.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$12.63 LKR 4,214

-17.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.31 LKR 771

-25.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.20 LKR 1,067

-18.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.41 LKR 137

31.71%

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

$0.52 LKR 175

382.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$0.34 LKR 114

826.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.07 LKR 356

18.69%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$21.9K LKR 7.3M

38.51%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$21.6K LKR 7.2M

9.17%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

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

$22.71 MX$390

$2.26 LKR 754

904.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$7.81 LKR 2,605

277.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$10.22 LKR 3,410

399.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$2.60 LKR 869

89.62%

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

$197 MX$3,386

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$11.64 LKR 3,883

217.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$8.47 LKR 2,824

370.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$94.7 LKR 31.6K

-15.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$28.23 LKR 9,416

216.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$82.6 LKR 27.6K

1057.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$59.9 LKR 20.0K

696.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$94.1 LKR 31.4K

1201.88%

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

$165 LKR 55.0K

304.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

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 Ratnapura: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $82.6 in Ratnapura. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 304% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $10.00 in Ratnapura. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $283 in Ratnapura – 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 Ratnapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 139%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $797 in Ratnapura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $10.00 in Ratnapura. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ratnapura, where all-in costs run around $531, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Ratnapura it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ratnapura – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Ratnapura. 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.