Cost of Living Comparison Between Sidon and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Sidon and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,023 per month in Sidon vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,745 per month in Sidon vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,468 per month in Sidon vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sidon is about 21% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Sidon and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Sidon 24% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.96 LBP 980.9K

$11.73 MX$203

-6.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 LBP 5.4M

$41.62 MX$720

45.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.09 LBP 723.9K

$10.64 MX$184

-23.97%

Cappuccino

$3.28 LBP 293.3K

$3.52 MX$60.9

-6.82%

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

$1.66 LBP 148.2K

$1.51 MX$26.12

9.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 LBP 84.5K

$0.97 MX$16.84

-3.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 LBP 319.5K

$2.95 MX$51.0

21.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 LBP 459.0K

$4.45 MX$77.0

15.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 LBP 160.0K

$1.38 MX$23.93

29.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 LBP 72.1K

$1.89 MX$32.72

-57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 LBP 164.5K

$1.64 MX$28.32

12.20%

Eggs

$3.19 LBP 285.9K

$2.51 MX$43.34

27.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.11 LBP 994.0K

$8.34 MX$144

33.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.57 LBP 856.3K

$8.34 MX$144

14.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.28 LBP 1.0M

$10.73 MX$186

5.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 LBP 155.9K

$2.60 MX$45.04

-33.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 LBP 136.8K

$1.46 MX$25.20

4.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 LBP 101.7K

$1.90 MX$32.87

-40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 LBP 94.5K

$2.08 MX$35.91

-49.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 LBP 90.6K

$1.78 MX$30.71

-43.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 LBP 88.9K

$2.19 MX$37.80

-54.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 LBP 79.4K

$1.04 MX$17.99

-14.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 LBP 50.7K

$1.08 MX$18.62

-47.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 LBP 220.0K

$4.08 MX$70.6

-39.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.97 LBP 892.2K

$10.32 MX$178

-3.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 LBP 110.5K

$1.71 MX$29.61

-28.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 LBP 196.8K

$2.58 MX$44.54

-14.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 LBP 180.9K

$0.51 MX$8.81

296.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 LBP 451.6K

$3.26 MX$56.4

54.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 LBP 110.7K

$2.49 MX$43.09

-50.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.16 LBP 1.8M

$3.25 MX$56.2

520.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 LBP 86.1K

$1.31 MX$22.61

-26.72%

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

$34.6K LBP 3.1B

$30.3K MX$523.7K

14.31%

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

$27.8K LBP 2.5B

$23.4K MX$405.3K

18.53%

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

$215 LBP 19.2M

$82.9 MX$1,433

158.84%

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

$37.11 LBP 3.3M

$22.22 MX$384

67.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.07 LBP 3.3M

$29.34 MX$507

26.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.44 LBP 2.9M

$51.6 MX$893

-37.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.81 LBP 878.0K

$18.32 MX$317

-46.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.13 LBP 548.9K

$5.07 MX$87.6

20.91%

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

$300 LBP 26.9M

$201 MX$3,473

49.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,393 LBP 393.2M

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-15.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.7 LBP 6.4M

$36.92 MX$639

94.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.31 LBP 4.0M

$39.79 MX$688

11.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 LBP 10.9M

$78.5 MX$1,357

55.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.5 LBP 8.5M

$87.1 MX$1,506

8.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$246 LBP 22.0M

$973 MX$16.8K

-74.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$98.1 LBP 8.8M

$468 MX$8,090

-79.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 LBP 53.6M

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-63.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 LBP 35.5M

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-67.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,019 LBP 91.2M

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-74.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$866 LBP 77.5M

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-86.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.16

11.42

-2.28%

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

Last update for Sidon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $246 in Sidon versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $61.0 in Sidon versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Sidon vs $249 in Playa del Carmen – so Sidon 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

Sidon vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 27%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,534 per month in Sidon and $1,945 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sidon, 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 $1,023 in Sidon and $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $300 per month in Sidon and $201 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $1,023, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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.