Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: $707 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
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Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Living Index
59

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

Jump to prices

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$707

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $707 per month in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $707
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,096 per month in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,096
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $1,485 per month in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,485
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is about 41% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 48% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 LKR 1,271

$10.86 MX$201

-64.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.15 LKR 8,331

$44.21 MX$817

-43.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 LKR 2,533

$11.76 MX$217

-34.95%

Cappuccino

$2.57 LKR 852

$3.68 MX$68.0

-30.16%

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

$0.73 LKR 241

$1.34 MX$24.79

-45.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 81.8

$0.82 MX$15.24

-69.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 735

$3.06 MX$56.6

-27.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 LKR 989

$4.94 MX$91.2

-39.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 LKR 421

$1.47 MX$27.17

-13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 LKR 191

$2.22 MX$40.95

-73.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 LKR 246

$1.48 MX$27.32

-50.00%

Eggs

$1.72 LKR 568

$2.49 MX$45.99

-30.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.81 LKR 4,576

$7.52 MX$139

83.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 LKR 1,462

$7.96 MX$147

-44.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.29 LKR 1,754

$12.57 MX$232

-57.92%

Apples (1kg)

$6.21 LKR 2,058

$2.78 MX$51.3

123.38%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 279

$1.43 MX$26.37

-41.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 LKR 1,445

$2.62 MX$48.37

66.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 LKR 397

$2.14 MX$39.49

-43.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 288

$2.02 MX$37.38

-56.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 270

$1.99 MX$36.74

-58.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 LKR 291

$1.14 MX$21.01

-22.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 151

$1.20 MX$22.18

-61.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.15 LKR 3,031

$4.26 MX$78.7

114.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 LKR 4,216

$10.02 MX$185

27.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 LKR 645

$1.54 MX$28.41

26.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 LKR 1,001

$2.66 MX$49.17

13.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 LKR 103

$4.90 MX$90.6

-93.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 LKR 125

$3.43 MX$63.5

-88.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 292

$5.38 MX$99.4

-83.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 LKR 381

$1.45 MX$26.76

-20.69%

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

$43.5K LKR 14.4M

$21.2K MX$391.0K

105.56%

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

$41.0K LKR 13.6M

$23.0K MX$425.3K

78.05%

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

$45.62 LKR 15.1K

$85.4 MX$1,577

-46.56%

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

$4.36 LKR 1,445

$23.46 MX$434

-81.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.16 LKR 4,028

$28.43 MX$525

-57.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.89 LKR 4,933

$62.2 MX$1,149

-76.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$3.08 LKR 1,020

$5.10 MX$94.3

-39.61%

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

$37.61 LKR 12.5K

$201 MX$3,715

-81.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$896 LKR 296.9K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

-77.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.40 LKR 6,093

$44.39 MX$820

-58.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.89 LKR 5,593

$41.35 MX$764

-59.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 LKR 26.3K

$72.7 MX$1,344

9.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.35 LKR 13.7K

$89.6 MX$1,656

-53.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 LKR 101.7K

$979 MX$18.1K

-68.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 LKR 74.1K

$373 MX$6,887

-39.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 LKR 147.4K

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-73.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 LKR 126.4K

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-65.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$692 LKR 229.3K

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-82.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$531 LKR 175.9K

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-91.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$298 LKR 98.8K

$738 MX$13.6K

-59.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

11.45

10.83%

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

Last update for Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$224 31.7%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 66.6% $149

Groceries & Markets

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$222 31.4%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 16.5% $37

Eating Out

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$105 14.9%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 89.8% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$70 9.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 59.1% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$62 8.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 121% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$21 3%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 244% $51

Getting Around

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$2.2 * 0.3%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 2250% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $307 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $979 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.

Salaries run about 147% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $258 – making Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

15:52 3:52 PM

05:22 5:22 AM

10 h 30 min behind Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,826 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Playa del Carmen 16,640 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Playa del Carmen

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

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,060 per month in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and $1,806 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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, 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 $707 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 70%.

Kindergarten costs $37.61 per month in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, where all-in costs run around $707, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. 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.