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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,019 in Sidon, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,708 in Sidon, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,396 in Sidon, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 23% more than Sidon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sidon are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Sidon 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$10.94 LBP 978.9K

9.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$60.6 LBP 5.4M

-31.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$7.91 LBP 708.3K

35.90%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$3.41 LBP 305.5K

2.64%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$1.60 LBP 142.9K

-9.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.89 LBP 79.5K

-1.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$3.57 LBP 319.1K

-17.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$5.07 LBP 453.8K

-11.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.70 LBP 152.0K

-15.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$0.80 LBP 71.9K

130.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.82 LBP 162.8K

-13.74%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$3.16 LBP 283.0K

-20.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$11.08 LBP 991.3K

-25.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$9.35 LBP 837.2K

-9.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$11.65 LBP 1.0M

-8.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$1.74 LBP 155.6K

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.50 LBP 134.6K

-4.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.13 LBP 101.4K

73.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$1.06 LBP 94.8K

97.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$1.00 LBP 89.5K

85.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$1.03 LBP 92.3K

110.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$0.82 LBP 73.3K

25.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.56 LBP 49.7K

91.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$2.51 LBP 224.7K

63.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$9.81 LBP 878.4K

3.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$1.29 LBP 115.4K

30.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$2.13 LBP 190.4K

18.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$2.02 LBP 180.8K

-74.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$4.97 LBP 444.5K

-35.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$1.28 LBP 114.7K

88.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$20.17 LBP 1.8M

-83.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$0.95 LBP 85.0K

38.95%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$35.6K LBP 3.2B

-16.63%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$28.2K LBP 2.5B

-16.19%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$214 LBP 19.2M

-61.71%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$38.03 LBP 3.4M

-39.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$37.53 LBP 3.4M

-19.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$33.48 LBP 3.0M

55.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$9.97 LBP 892.6K

85.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$6.18 LBP 552.8K

-19.42%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$306 LBP 27.4M

-35.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$4,454 LBP 398.6M

19.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$71.1 LBP 6.4M

-49.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$44.83 LBP 4.0M

-10.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$121 LBP 10.9M

-35.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$96.2 LBP 8.6M

-7.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$253 LBP 22.6M

274.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$102 LBP 9.1M

366.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$596 LBP 53.4M

175.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$394 LBP 35.2M

207.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.16

2.33%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Sidon: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $253 in Sidon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $61.0 in Sidon. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $233 in Sidon – so Sidon 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 Sidon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 23%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,529 in Sidon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $1,019 in Sidon. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $306 in Sidon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sidon, where all-in costs run around $1,019, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Sidon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Sidon. 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.