Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living costs are similar in Bali and in Playa del Carmen: $1,214 and $1,204 a month, rent and utilities included.

Bali, Indonesia
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,214
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali 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 Bali and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,214 per month in Bali vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Bali $1,214
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,047 per month in Bali vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Bali $2,047
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,880 per month in Bali vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Bali $2,880
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Bali and Playa del Carmen have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Bali and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Bali 11% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bali
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.73 Rp 49.5K
$10.92 MX$205
-75.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.91 Rp 524.4K
$43.37 MX$815
-33.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.56 Rp 82.7K
$11.78 MX$221
-61.29%
Cappuccino
$2.26 Rp 41.1K
$3.81 MX$71.6
-40.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 Rp 25.9K
$1.28 MX$24.10
11.72%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.68 Rp 12.4K
$0.78 MX$14.71
-12.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
$3.17 MX$59.5
-29.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 Rp 66.8K
$4.93 MX$92.7
-25.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bali
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.0K
$1.41 MX$26.43
5.67%
White Bread (500g)
$2.18 Rp 39.6K
$2.22 MX$41.66
-1.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.14 Rp 20.7K
$1.42 MX$26.64
-19.72%
Eggs
$2.02 Rp 36.6K
$2.52 MX$47.41
-19.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.81 Rp 304.8K
$7.26 MX$137
131.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.57 Rp 64.8K
$7.70 MX$145
-53.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.31 Rp 205.1K
$12.69 MX$239
-10.87%
Apples (1kg)
$3.44 Rp 62.5K
$2.78 MX$52.3
23.74%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 Rp 27.4K
$1.37 MX$25.71
10.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 Rp 39.7K
$2.55 MX$47.94
-14.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 34.1K
$2.12 MX$39.90
-11.32%
Potato (1kg)
$1.71 Rp 31.0K
$1.94 MX$36.43
-11.86%
Onion (1kg)
$2.32 Rp 42.0K
$1.89 MX$35.44
22.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
$1.15 MX$21.55
-13.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.50 Rp 9,066
$1.18 MX$22.16
-57.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.03 Rp 36.8K
$4.30 MX$80.7
-52.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.49 Rp 389.8K
$9.95 MX$187
115.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.14 Rp 38.7K
$1.58 MX$29.76
35.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87 Rp 52.0K
$2.67 MX$50.2
7.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Bali
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,562
$0.55 MX$10.40
-54.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.82 Rp 160.0K
$26.62 MX$500
-66.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.45 Rp 8,153
$4.97 MX$93.4
-90.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.44 Rp 7,975
$3.33 MX$62.6
-86.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.48 Rp 99.4K
$5.36 MX$101
2.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.89 Rp 16.1K
$1.44 MX$27.14
-38.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.3K Rp 440.7M
$20.7K MX$388.4K
17.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K Rp 579.4M
$23.5K MX$441.0K
36.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
$84.8 MX$1,594
-5.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.55 Rp 118.8K
$23.41 MX$440
-72.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.48 Rp 335.2K
$28.66 MX$539
-35.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bali
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.66 Rp 737.5K
$57.1 MX$1,072
-28.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.93 Rp 270.7K
$28.91 MX$543
-48.36%
Cinema Ticket
$3.67 Rp 66.5K
$5.14 MX$96.6
-28.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bali
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$437 Rp 7.9M
$207 MX$3,882
111.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,063 Rp 91.8M
$3,927 MX$73.8K
28.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bali
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.62 Rp 791.2K
$43.35 MX$815
0.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.69 Rp 593.0K
$41.44 MX$779
-21.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$73.6 Rp 1.3M
$74.2 MX$1,394
-0.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$74.3 Rp 1.3M
$89.3 MX$1,677
-16.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bali
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$984 Rp 17.8M
$980 MX$18.4K
0.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$583 Rp 10.6M
$381 MX$7,157
53.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,121 Rp 56.6M
$1,708 MX$32.1K
82.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,475 Rp 26.8M
$1,075 MX$20.2K
37.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,447 Rp 44.4M
$3,943 MX$74.1K
-37.95%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,963 Rp 35.6M
$6,158 MX$115.7K
-68.12%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bali
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$215 Rp 3.9M
$735 MX$13.8K
-70.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
11.45
20.35%

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

Last update for Bali: October 24, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bali
$583
Playa del Carmen
$381 34.7% $202
Groceries & Markets
Bali
$275
Playa del Carmen
$255 7.4% $20
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
$105
Playa del Carmen
$137 30.5% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Bali
$101
Playa del Carmen
$112 10.7% $11
Eating Out
Bali
$90
Playa del Carmen
$202 126% $113
Sport & Entertainment
Bali
$48
Playa del Carmen
$67 40.3% $19
Getting Around
Bali
$12
Playa del Carmen
$50 304% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $984 in Bali versus $980 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 in Playa del Carmen are about 3.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Bali versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $275 in Bali vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Bali
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
11:49 11:49 AM
22:49 10:49 PM
13 h behind Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,252 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bali Playa del Carmen 17,260 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bali
  • 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
Bali vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Bali and in Playa del Carmen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,821 per month in Bali and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Bali compared to Playa del Carmen?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $984 in Bali and $980 in Playa del Carmen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Are groceries more expensive in Bali or in Playa del Carmen?
Groceries cost about 8% more in Bali, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How do childcare costs compare in Bali and in Playa del Carmen?
Kindergarten costs $437 per month in Bali and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Bali or in Playa del Carmen?
$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,214 in Bali and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Bali or Playa del Carmen?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,204 versus $1,214 in Bali. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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