Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Sin el Fil: $986 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Playa del Carmen outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Sin el Fil, Lebanon
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Sin el Fil
🇱🇧 Lebanon
$986
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Sin el Fil

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 Sin el Fil actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $986 in Sin el Fil, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Sin el Fil $986

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,592 in Sin el Fil, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Sin el Fil $1,592

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,199 in Sin el Fil, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Sin el Fil $2,199

Playa del Carmen costs about 22% more than Sin el Fil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sin el Fil are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Sin el Fil 28% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Sin el Fil
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$11.91 LBP 1.1M
-8.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$814
$70.2 LBP 6.3M
-38.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$10.05 LBP 899.6K
17.21%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.5
$4.56 LBP 407.7K
-16.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.07
$2.39 LBP 213.8K
-46.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.70
$0.83 LBP 74.3K
-6.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.5
$5.09 LBP 455.9K
-37.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
$4.66 LBP 417.0K
5.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Sin el Fil
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.40
$1.98 LBP 177.5K
-28.79%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.62
$0.91 LBP 81.2K
143.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.61
$2.17 LBP 194.2K
-34.56%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.36
$3.49 LBP 311.9K
-27.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$136
$11.21 LBP 1.0M
-35.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$144
$10.73 LBP 960.0K
-28.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$238
$14.61 LBP 1.3M
-13.14%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.3
$3.04 LBP 272.0K
-8.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.68
$1.71 LBP 153.2K
-19.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.89
$1.67 LBP 149.4K
52.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.86
$1.48 LBP 132.4K
43.24%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.39
$1.25 LBP 111.5K
55.20%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.41
$1.59 LBP 142.4K
18.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.53
$1.21 LBP 108.3K
-4.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.13
$0.71 LBP 63.9K
66.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.6
$2.98 LBP 266.8K
44.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$187
$10.79 LBP 965.3K
-7.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.73
$1.31 LBP 117.7K
20.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.1
$2.52 LBP 225.3K
5.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Sin el Fil
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.39
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$500
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.3
$4.98 LBP 445.3K
-0.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.5
$2.27 LBP 203.0K
46.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$101
$22.29 LBP 2.0M
-75.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.11
$1.04 LBP 93.2K
38.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$388.0K
$53.7K LBP 4.8B
-61.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$440.5K
$33.2K LBP 3.0B
-29.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Sin el Fil
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,592
$215 LBP 19.3M
-60.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$439
$23.36 LBP 2.1M
0.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$538
$37.48 LBP 3.4M
-23.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Sin el Fil
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,071
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$543
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.5
$10.09 LBP 903.2K
-49.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Sin el Fil
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,878
$671 LBP 60.1M
-69.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.7K
$10.6K LBP 949.4M
-62.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Sin el Fil
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$814
$66.5 LBP 6.0M
-34.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$778
$48.60 LBP 4.3M
-14.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,393
$139 LBP 12.5M
-46.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,676
$122 LBP 10.9M
-27.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Sin el Fil
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,150
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.1K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$74.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Sin el Fil
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
11
4.09%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sin el Fil: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Sin el Fil
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Sin el Fil
$276 8.2% $21
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Sin el Fil
$228 12.6% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Sin el Fil
$276 102% $139
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Sin el Fil
$169 51.7% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Sin el Fil
$20 * 70% $47
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Sin el Fil
$16 * 67.7% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $70 in Sin el Fil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $276 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇱🇧 Sin el Fil
🕒 Local time
05:04 5:04 AM
12:04 12:04 PM
7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
1,916,100
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 99,933 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Sin el Fil 11,440 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Sin el Fil

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 Sin el Fil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sin el Fil cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,479 in Sin el Fil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Sin el Fil?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $986 in Sin el Fil. That makes Sin el Fil about 18% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $671 in Sin el Fil. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $800 enough to cover costs in Playa del Carmen or in Sin el Fil?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $986 in Sin el Fil. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Sin el Fil?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $986 in Sin el Fil to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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