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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Sin el Fil is about 20% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.12 LBP 1.1M

$11.60 MX$199

4.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.0 LBP 5.7M

$47.11 MX$808

35.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.97 LBP 892.7K

$11.88 MX$204

-16.08%

Cappuccino

$4.57 LBP 408.6K

$3.98 MX$68.2

14.82%

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

$2.40 LBP 214.7K

$1.43 MX$24.46

67.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 LBP 72.7K

$0.82 MX$14.14

-1.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 LBP 460.3K

$3.19 MX$54.7

61.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 LBP 452.7K

$6.79 MX$116

-25.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 LBP 175.4K

$1.68 MX$28.72

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 LBP 79.1K

$2.20 MX$37.67

-60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 LBP 200.8K

$1.71 MX$29.29

30.99%

Eggs

$3.67 LBP 328.2K

$2.74 MX$46.99

33.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.53 LBP 1.2M

$9.58 MX$164

41.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.76 LBP 963.1K

$9.01 MX$154

19.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.22 LBP 1.3M

$12.81 MX$220

11.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 LBP 282.1K

$2.89 MX$49.52

9.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 LBP 146.0K

$1.50 MX$25.67

8.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 LBP 146.1K

$2.15 MX$36.83

-24.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 LBP 132.5K

$2.26 MX$38.74

-34.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 LBP 121.1K

$1.98 MX$33.96

-31.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 LBP 150.4K

$1.99 MX$34.11

-15.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 LBP 105.2K

$1.23 MX$21.16

-4.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 LBP 66.2K

$1.20 MX$20.52

-38.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 LBP 265.0K

$4.55 MX$78.0

-34.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.98 LBP 893.0K

$10.37 MX$178

-3.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 LBP 118.5K

$1.62 MX$27.76

-18.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 LBP 228.2K

$2.88 MX$49.39

-11.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 LBP 454.6K

$5.39 MX$92.4

-5.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 LBP 202.6K

$3.73 MX$63.9

-39.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.38 LBP 2.0M

$5.77 MX$98.9

287.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 LBP 92.9K

$1.54 MX$26.34

-32.47%

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

$54.3K LBP 4.9B

$22.5K MX$386.6K

140.74%

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

$32.7K LBP 2.9B

$26.1K MX$446.7K

25.51%

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

$232 LBP 20.8M

$91.4 MX$1,567

154.17%

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

$23.10 LBP 2.1M

$25.20 MX$432

-8.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.31 LBP 3.4M

$31.24 MX$536

22.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,152

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$499

Cinema Ticket

$9.86 LBP 882.9K

$4.86 MX$83.4

102.88%

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

$687 LBP 61.5M

$224 MX$3,834

207.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K LBP 967.6M

$4,229 MX$72.5K

155.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 LBP 6.2M

$47.10 MX$808

45.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.68 LBP 4.4M

$44.29 MX$759

9.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 LBP 12.2M

$80.1 MX$1,373

70.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 LBP 10.8M

$92.7 MX$1,589

30.41%

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

-3.93%

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

Last update for Sin el Fil: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Sin el Fil vs Playa del Carmen: 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 $1,525 per month in Sin el Fil and $1,899 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $687 per month in Sin el Fil and $224 in Playa del Carmen. 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.