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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,017 in Sin el Fil, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,592 in Sin el Fil, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,168 in Sin el Fil, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 24% more than Sin el Fil, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sin el Fil are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Sin el Fil 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$12.12 LBP 1.1M

-4.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$808

$64.0 LBP 5.7M

-26.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$9.97 LBP 892.7K

19.16%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$4.57 LBP 408.6K

-12.91%

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

$1.43 MX$24.46

$2.40 LBP 214.7K

-40.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.14

$0.81 LBP 72.7K

1.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$5.14 LBP 460.3K

-37.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$116

$5.06 LBP 452.7K

34.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.72

$1.96 LBP 175.4K

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.67

$0.88 LBP 79.1K

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.29

$2.24 LBP 200.8K

-23.66%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$46.99

$3.67 LBP 328.2K

-25.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$13.53 LBP 1.2M

-29.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$154

$10.76 LBP 963.1K

-16.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$14.22 LBP 1.3M

-9.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.52

$3.15 LBP 282.1K

-8.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.67

$1.63 LBP 146.0K

-7.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.83

$1.63 LBP 146.1K

31.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.74

$1.48 LBP 132.5K

52.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.96

$1.35 LBP 121.1K

46.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.11

$1.68 LBP 150.4K

18.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.16

$1.18 LBP 105.2K

4.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.52

$0.74 LBP 66.2K

62.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.0

$2.96 LBP 265.0K

53.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$9.98 LBP 893.0K

3.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.76

$1.32 LBP 118.5K

22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.39

$2.55 LBP 228.2K

12.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.4

$5.08 LBP 454.6K

6.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$63.9

$2.26 LBP 202.6K

65.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$98.9

$22.38 LBP 2.0M

-74.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.34

$1.04 LBP 92.9K

48.08%

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

$22.5K MX$386.6K

$54.3K LBP 4.9B

-58.46%

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

$26.1K MX$446.7K

$32.7K LBP 2.9B

-20.33%

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

$91.4 MX$1,567

$232 LBP 20.8M

-60.66%

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

$25.20 MX$432

$23.10 LBP 2.1M

9.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$38.31 LBP 3.4M

-18.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,152

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$499

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.4

$9.86 LBP 882.9K

-50.71%

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

$224 MX$3,834

$687 LBP 61.5M

-67.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.5K

$10.8K LBP 967.6M

-60.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$68.8 LBP 6.2M

-31.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$759

$48.68 LBP 4.4M

-9.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,373

$137 LBP 12.2M

-41.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,589

$121 LBP 10.8M

-23.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,690

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

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 12, 2026

Last update for Sin el Fil: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $64.0 in Sin el Fil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $281 – 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 Sin el Fil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 24%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,525 in Sin el Fil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $1,017 in Sin el Fil. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $687 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 $1,017, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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.