Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ratnapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $471 a month against $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
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Ratnapura Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$471

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Ratnapura

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Ratnapura actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $471 in Ratnapura, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Ratnapura $471

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $766 in Ratnapura, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Ratnapura $766

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,062 in Ratnapura, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Ratnapura $1,062

Playa del Carmen costs about 158% more than Ratnapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ratnapura are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Ratnapura 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

$1.99 LKR 659

451.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

$9.15 LKR 3,028

390.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$5.89 LKR 1,949

102.38%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

$2.17 LKR 718

75.12%

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

$0.74 LKR 245

77.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.72

$0.47 LKR 155

82.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

$1.93 LKR 639

66.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

$2.74 LKR 908

82.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

$1.77 LKR 586

-17.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

$0.75 LKR 247

210.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

$0.63 LKR 208

128.57%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

$1.11 LKR 368

121.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

$15.11 LKR 5,000

-49.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$6.30 LKR 2,086

25.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

$15.80 LKR 5,228

-18.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

$4.18 LKR 1,382

-30.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

$0.72 LKR 237

97.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

$4.22 LKR 1,397

-39.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

$0.99 LKR 329

116.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

$1.05 LKR 348

85.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

$1.36 LKR 451

42.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

$0.47 LKR 154

144.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

$0.44 LKR 145

177.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

$12.91 LKR 4,270

-66.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

$12.87 LKR 4,259

-23.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

$2.09 LKR 691

-26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

$2.81 LKR 931

-3.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

$0.37 LKR 124

40.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

$0.38 LKR 125

1192.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

$0.44 LKR 145

700.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$0.97 LKR 322

58.76%

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

$19.5K LKR 6.4M

8.97%

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

24.86%

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

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

$24.03 MX$441

$2.08 LKR 688

1055.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

$7.36 LKR 2,434

298.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

$9.19 LKR 3,041

605.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

$2.46 LKR 815

106.91%

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

$208 MX$3,813

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

$10.68 LKR 3,535

317.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

$7.54 LKR 2,495

457.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

$85.6 LKR 28.3K

-11.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

$25.29 LKR 8,365

261.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$76.6 LKR 25.4K

1187.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

$54.9 LKR 18.1K

602.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

$83.2 LKR 27.5K

1232.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

$167 LKR 55.3K

353.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Ratnapura: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Ratnapura

$55 11.5% 85.8% $330

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Ratnapura

$258 54% 0.8% $2

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Ratnapura

$80 16.7% 60.9% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Ratnapura

$9.4 * 2% 93.1% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Ratnapura

$58 12.1% 49.1% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Ratnapura

$14 3% 81.2% $61

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Ratnapura

$4.1 * 0.9% 92.2% $48

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $76.6 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 353% 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 $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $9.00 in Ratnapura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $258 – making Ratnapura the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🕒 Local time

07:38 7:38 AM

18:08 6:08 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

52,100

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Ratnapura 16,680 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Ratnapura

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 158%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $706 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.

Groceries cost about 1% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen and $9.00 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 $471, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,215. 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.