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 $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,000 in Sidon, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,584 in Sidon, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,168 in Sidon, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 31% more than Sidon, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sidon are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Sidon 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$12.11 LBP 1.1M

-1.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$64.3 LBP 5.8M

-26.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$9.96 LBP 891.8K

17.97%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$4.52 LBP 404.6K

-8.85%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$2.31 LBP 206.4K

-39.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.88 LBP 78.9K

3.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$5.07 LBP 453.3K

-36.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.90 LBP 438.1K

44.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.93 LBP 172.3K

-12.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.90 LBP 80.1K

138.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$2.16 LBP 193.2K

-18.06%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$3.62 LBP 323.9K

-22.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$13.64 LBP 1.2M

-32.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$10.58 LBP 946.8K

-12.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$14.44 LBP 1.3M

-12.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.05 LBP 272.6K

-3.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.70 LBP 152.3K

-7.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.66 LBP 148.7K

33.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.47 LBP 131.6K

60.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.36 LBP 122.1K

46.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.63 LBP 146.2K

21.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.16 LBP 104.1K

6.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.68 LBP 61.1K

77.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$2.97 LBP 265.5K

54.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$9.83 LBP 879.8K

7.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.31 LBP 117.6K

29.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.50 LBP 223.9K

10.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$4.88 LBP 436.7K

7.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$2.28 LBP 203.8K

60.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$22.14 LBP 2.0M

-73.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.05 LBP 93.9K

46.67%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$54.0K LBP 4.8B

-57.79%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$32.1K LBP 2.9B

-19.62%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$229 LBP 20.5M

-60.45%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$23.89 LBP 2.1M

5.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$38.37 LBP 3.4M

-17.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$10.02 LBP 896.8K

-51.50%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$688 LBP 61.6M

-67.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$10.6K LBP 945.4M

-60.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$66.9 LBP 6.0M

-29.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$48.65 LBP 4.4M

-10.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$140 LBP 12.5M

-42.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$121 LBP 10.8M

-24.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.09%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Sidon: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $64.0 in Sidon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $279 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 31%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,500 in Sidon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $1,000 in Sidon. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $688 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 $1,000, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. 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.