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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $994 in Baabda versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Baabda versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,211 in Baabda versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Baabda costs roughly 23% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baabda 28% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 LBP 1.1M

$11.71 MX$199

2.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 LBP 5.7M

$46.59 MX$791

36.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 LBP 899.2K

$11.65 MX$198

-13.73%

Cappuccino

$4.63 LBP 414.3K

$4.09 MX$69.5

13.20%

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

$2.31 LBP 207.0K

$1.37 MX$23.34

68.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 LBP 76.8K

$0.83 MX$14.16

3.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 LBP 438.3K

$3.35 MX$56.9

46.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 LBP 455.7K

$6.91 MX$117

-26.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 LBP 175.0K

$1.73 MX$29.33

13.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 LBP 75.8K

$2.26 MX$38.39

-62.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 LBP 194.0K

$1.77 MX$30.05

22.60%

Eggs

$3.49 LBP 312.7K

$2.73 MX$46.41

27.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.30 LBP 1.2M

$9.18 MX$156

44.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.74 LBP 961.0K

$8.92 MX$151

20.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.08 LBP 1.3M

$12.60 MX$214

11.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 LBP 279.2K

$3.02 MX$51.3

3.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 LBP 153.7K

$1.57 MX$26.68

9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 LBP 148.7K

$2.13 MX$36.10

-22.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 LBP 138.1K

$2.26 MX$38.46

-31.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 LBP 125.6K

$2.00 MX$34.04

-30.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 LBP 147.3K

$2.06 MX$35.06

-19.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 LBP 104.8K

$1.18 MX$20.04

-0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 LBP 64.6K

$1.20 MX$20.45

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 LBP 261.2K

$4.63 MX$78.7

-36.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 LBP 907.1K

$10.69 MX$182

-5.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 LBP 114.7K

$1.62 MX$27.50

-20.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 LBP 229.5K

$2.88 MX$48.93

-11.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$507

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.14 LBP 460.5K

$5.45 MX$92.5

-5.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 LBP 199.2K

$3.70 MX$62.9

-39.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.28 LBP 2.0M

$5.98 MX$102

272.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 LBP 93.2K

$1.55 MX$26.38

-32.90%

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

$54.4K LBP 4.9B

$22.3K MX$379.2K

143.59%

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

$32.7K LBP 2.9B

$25.9K MX$440.7K

25.92%

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

$230 LBP 20.6M

$89.1 MX$1,514

158.50%

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

$23.49 LBP 2.1M

$25.04 MX$425

-6.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.89 LBP 3.4M

$31.50 MX$535

20.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,151

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$491

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 LBP 893.3K

$5.05 MX$85.8

97.62%

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

$681 LBP 61.0M

$225 MX$3,820

202.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K LBP 962.2M

$4,222 MX$71.7K

154.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 LBP 6.1M

$47.44 MX$806

43.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.11 LBP 4.4M

$44.98 MX$764

9.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 LBP 12.4M

$82.0 MX$1,392

69.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 LBP 10.8M

$92.1 MX$1,564

31.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,884

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

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 Baabda: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Baabda vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $277 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Baabda and Playa del Carmen differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($994 vs $1,293 including rent). Baabda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,490 in Baabda and $1,940 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $681 in Baabda versus $225 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Baabda – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $994 in Baabda versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Baabda but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Baabda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Baabda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.