Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sin el Fil Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sin el Fil

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,133 in Sin el Fil, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,735 in Sin el Fil, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,338 in Sin el Fil, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 11% more than Sin el Fil, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sin el Fil are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Sin el Fil 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$10.68 LBP 955.9K

12.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$49.80 LBP 4.5M

-16.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$8.16 LBP 730.3K

31.74%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$2.96 LBP 264.8K

18.24%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$1.56 LBP 139.9K

-7.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.89 LBP 79.3K

-1.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$3.57 LBP 319.4K

-17.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$5.05 LBP 452.2K

-10.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.80 LBP 161.2K

-20.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$0.80 LBP 71.7K

130.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.75 LBP 156.8K

-10.29%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$3.23 LBP 289.2K

-22.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$7.94 LBP 710.7K

4.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$9.70 LBP 868.4K

-13.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$11.60 LBP 1.0M

-7.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$1.75 LBP 156.7K

49.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.53 LBP 136.7K

-5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.09 LBP 97.8K

79.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$1.08 LBP 97.0K

93.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$0.92 LBP 82.5K

101.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$1.05 LBP 93.7K

106.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$0.83 LBP 74.0K

24.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.55 LBP 49.6K

94.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$2.49 LBP 222.8K

64.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$9.81 LBP 878.4K

3.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$1.24 LBP 111.1K

35.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$2.13 LBP 190.6K

18.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$5.08 LBP 454.9K

-36.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$1.22 LBP 109.6K

97.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$20.30 LBP 1.8M

-84.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$0.94 LBP 84.0K

40.43%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$35.3K LBP 3.2B

-15.88%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$27.8K LBP 2.5B

-14.86%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$217 LBP 19.4M

-62.21%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$37.98 LBP 3.4M

-39.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$37.75 LBP 3.4M

-20.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$30.40 LBP 2.7M

70.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$10.19 LBP 912.0K

81.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$7.87 LBP 704.0K

-36.72%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$307 LBP 27.5M

-35.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$4,532 LBP 405.6M

17.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$71.5 LBP 6.4M

-50.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$45.35 LBP 4.1M

-11.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$99.9 LBP 8.9M

-21.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$71.0 LBP 6.4M

25.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$298 LBP 26.7M

217.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$254 LBP 22.8M

86.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$1,017 LBP 91.0M

61.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$503 LBP 45.1M

140.45%

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 Sin el Fil: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $298 in Sin el Fil. 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 $50.0 in Sin el Fil. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $226 in Sin el Fil – so Sin el Fil 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 Sin el Fil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 11%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. 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 $1,699 in Sin el Fil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sin el Fil, 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 $1,133 in Sin el Fil. 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 $307 in Sin el Fil. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sin el Fil, where all-in costs run around $1,133, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Sin el Fil it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sin el Fil – 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 Sin el Fil. 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.