Cost of Living Comparison Between Badia Tedalda and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Badia Tedalda and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,745 in Badia Tedalda versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,628 in Badia Tedalda versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,511 in Badia Tedalda versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Badia Tedalda is roughly 36% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Badia Tedalda is 30% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 €15.08

$11.94 MX$208

47.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 €63.6

$42.75 MX$744

74.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 €9.97

$10.59 MX$184

10.29%

Cappuccino

$1.94 €1.66

$3.62 MX$63.0

-46.41%

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

$2.98 €2.54

$1.47 MX$25.54

102.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.10

$0.94 MX$16.41

37.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €4.80

$3.09 MX$53.8

81.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 €4.55

$4.46 MX$77.6

19.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.43 MX$24.80

13.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 €1.93

$1.88 MX$32.79

19.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.29

$1.63 MX$28.34

64.42%

Eggs

$3.86 €3.30

$2.64 MX$45.99

46.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.60 €13.32

$8.21 MX$143

90.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.17 €10.40

$8.29 MX$144

46.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.37

$11.10 MX$193

72.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 €2.07

$2.65 MX$46.14

-8.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.50 MX$26.11

32.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.17

$1.99 MX$34.59

27.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 €2.79

$2.08 MX$36.13

56.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.55

$1.79 MX$31.11

1.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 €1.51

$2.18 MX$37.87

-18.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$1.08 MX$18.73

34.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 €0.40

$1.04 MX$18.04

-54.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.90 €5.89

$3.97 MX$69.1

73.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 €5.69

$10.20 MX$178

-34.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.40

$1.73 MX$30.04

-5.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 €2.09

$2.50 MX$43.46

-2.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.46

$0.52 MX$9.02

228.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.96 €37.54

$26.97 MX$469

63.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.67 €4.85

$3.14 MX$54.7

80.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 €1.30

$2.40 MX$41.80

-36.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.64 €29.58

$3.09 MX$53.7

1021.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.71

$1.27 MX$22.16

58.27%

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

$32.0K €27.3K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

3.48%

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

$32.3K €27.6K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

38.55%

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

$221 €188

$82.0 MX$1,427

168.94%

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

$13.00 €11.10

$22.45 MX$391

-42.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.04 €26.51

$29.66 MX$516

4.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 €46.88

$51.9 MX$903

5.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.49 €20.06

$18.67 MX$325

25.82%

Cinema Ticket

$10.29 €8.79

$4.97 MX$86.5

107.04%

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

$555 €474

$198 MX$3,442

180.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,145 €6,956

$5,273 MX$91.7K

54.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 €75.3

$36.34 MX$632

142.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.20 €32.63

$40.05 MX$697

-4.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 €77.0

$79.9 MX$1,390

12.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €107

$88.9 MX$1,547

41.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 €655

$963 MX$16.8K

-20.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$573 €490

$465 MX$8,086

23.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 €1,018

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-25.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$944 €806

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-21.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,591 €2,213

$3,942 MX$68.6K

-34.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,082 €1,778

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-67.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.45

11.42

-61.03%

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

Last update for Badia Tedalda: April 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $766 in Badia Tedalda and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74.0 in Badia Tedalda vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $251 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,618 in Badia Tedalda and $1,930 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $766 in Badia Tedalda versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 63% less than in Badia Tedalda. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $555 in Badia Tedalda versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,745 in Badia Tedalda, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Badia Tedalda. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Badia Tedalda, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Badia Tedalda and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Badia Tedalda. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.