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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $531 in Badulla versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $866 in Badulla versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,201 in Badulla versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Badulla costs roughly 59% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Badulla 60% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.08 LKR 1,299

$11.94 MX$208

-65.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.24 LKR 8,042

$42.75 MX$744

-40.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 LKR 2,599

$10.59 MX$184

-22.95%

Cappuccino

$2.62 LKR 835

$3.62 MX$63.0

-27.62%

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

$0.74 LKR 236

$1.47 MX$25.54

-49.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 LKR 119

$0.94 MX$16.41

-60.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 LKR 751

$3.09 MX$53.8

-23.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 LKR 1,061

$4.46 MX$77.6

-25.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 LKR 530

$1.43 MX$24.80

16.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 167

$1.88 MX$32.79

-71.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 LKR 219

$1.63 MX$28.34

-57.67%

Eggs

$2.15 LKR 684

$2.64 MX$45.99

-18.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.31 LKR 4,558

$8.21 MX$143

74.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.99 LKR 1,270

$8.29 MX$144

-51.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.86 LKR 2,503

$11.10 MX$193

-29.19%

Apples (1kg)

$7.67 LKR 2,445

$2.65 MX$46.14

189.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 LKR 339

$1.50 MX$26.11

-29.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.73 LKR 1,827

$1.99 MX$34.59

187.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 LKR 387

$2.08 MX$36.13

-41.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 LKR 355

$1.79 MX$31.11

-37.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 LKR 455

$2.18 MX$37.87

-34.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 LKR 382

$1.08 MX$18.73

11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 LKR 193

$1.04 MX$18.04

-41.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.86 LKR 3,142

$3.97 MX$69.1

148.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.64 LKR 4,027

$10.20 MX$178

23.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 LKR 663

$1.73 MX$30.04

20.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 LKR 904

$2.50 MX$43.46

13.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 LKR 123

$3.14 MX$54.7

-87.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 LKR 113

$2.40 MX$41.80

-85.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 LKR 193

$3.09 MX$53.7

-80.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 LKR 381

$1.27 MX$22.16

-5.51%

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

$27.2K LKR 8.7M

$30.9K MX$537.3K

-11.97%

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

$35.0K LKR 11.2M

$23.3K MX$405.7K

50.32%

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

$60.1 LKR 19.2K

$82.0 MX$1,427

-26.70%

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

$4.20 LKR 1,339

$22.45 MX$391

-81.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.23 LKR 4,852

$29.66 MX$516

-48.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$3.25 LKR 1,036

$4.97 MX$86.5

-34.61%

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

$36.67 LKR 11.7K

$198 MX$3,442

-81.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$441 LKR 140.5K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

-91.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.02 LKR 8,929

$36.34 MX$632

-22.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.70 LKR 6,277

$40.05 MX$697

-50.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 LKR 22.1K

$79.9 MX$1,390

-13.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.65 LKR 12.3K

$88.9 MX$1,547

-56.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.08%

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

Last update for Badulla: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25.00 in Badulla vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $253 vs $251, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Badulla is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 142% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $797 in Badulla 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.

Childcare runs $36.67 in Badulla versus $198 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 Badulla – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $531 in Badulla versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Badulla but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Badulla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Badulla 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 Badulla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 142% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.