Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Zgharta

For one person, living is cheaper in Zgharta: $980 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Playa del Carmen outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Zgharta
Learn more

Zgharta Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Zgharta

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$980

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Zgharta

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 Zgharta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $980 in Zgharta, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Zgharta $980

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,584 in Zgharta, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Zgharta $1,584

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,189 in Zgharta, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Zgharta $2,189

Playa del Carmen costs about 23% more than Zgharta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$12.17 LBP 1.1M

-10.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$69.0 LBP 6.2M

-37.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

$9.95 LBP 890.1K

18.39%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$4.43 LBP 396.1K

-14.00%

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

$1.28 MX$23.89

$2.30 LBP 205.7K

-44.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.58

$0.85 LBP 76.3K

-8.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$5.02 LBP 449.7K

-36.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.9

$4.85 LBP 434.4K

1.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.20

$1.98 LBP 177.6K

-28.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.30

$0.84 LBP 74.9K

164.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.40

$2.22 LBP 199.1K

-36.04%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.00

$3.55 LBP 317.5K

-29.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$10.85 LBP 971.3K

-33.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$10.81 LBP 967.3K

-28.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$14.82 LBP 1.3M

-14.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$3.01 LBP 269.6K

-7.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.49

$1.65 LBP 147.5K

-16.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.52

$1.69 LBP 151.5K

50.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.55

$1.54 LBP 137.7K

37.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.11

$1.22 LBP 109.1K

59.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.13

$1.54 LBP 137.5K

22.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.36

$1.20 LBP 107.6K

-4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.96

$0.68 LBP 61.3K

73.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.0

$2.94 LBP 262.8K

46.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$10.79 LBP 965.3K

-7.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.50

$1.26 LBP 113.0K

25.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.76

$2.46 LBP 219.9K

8.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$5.14 LBP 460.3K

-3.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$2.22 LBP 198.4K

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$22.10 LBP 2.0M

-75.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.90

$1.10 LBP 98.2K

30.91%

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

$20.7K MX$385.0K

$52.8K LBP 4.7B

-60.86%

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

$23.5K MX$437.2K

$32.2K LBP 2.9B

-27.14%

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

$84.8 MX$1,580

$209 LBP 18.7M

-59.44%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$23.90 LBP 2.1M

-2.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$38.09 LBP 3.4M

-24.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.7

$10.05 LBP 899.8K

-48.86%

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

$207 MX$3,848

$684 LBP 61.2M

-69.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$10.8K LBP 966.9M

-63.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$68.5 LBP 6.1M

-36.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$49.25 LBP 4.4M

-15.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,382

$140 LBP 12.5M

-46.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,663

$121 LBP 10.9M

-26.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,095

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Zgharta: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Zgharta

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Zgharta

$274 28% 7.7% $20

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Zgharta

$228 23.2% 12.6% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Zgharta

$271 27.7% 98% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Zgharta

$170 17.4% 52.6% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Zgharta

$20 * 2.1% 70.1% $47

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Zgharta

$16 * 1.7% 67.8% $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 $69 in Zgharta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $274 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇱🇧 Zgharta

🕒 Local time

23:27 11:27 PM

06:27 6:27 AM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD

100,000 LBP = 1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 99,632 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Zgharta 11,430 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Zgharta

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 Zgharta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,470 in Zgharta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $980 in Zgharta. That makes Zgharta about 19% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $684 in Zgharta. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Zgharta, where all-in costs run around $980, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Zgharta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $980 in Zgharta to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.