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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $975 in Bambous versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,574 in Bambous versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,174 in Bambous versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bambous costs roughly 23% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bambous 27% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.44 MUR 208

$11.72 MX$203

-62.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.73 MUR 2,049

$41.89 MX$725

4.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.44 MUR 208

$10.51 MX$182

-57.75%

Cappuccino

$2.14 MUR 100

$3.59 MX$62.0

-40.39%

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

$0.96 MUR 45.07

$1.51 MX$26.10

-36.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 MUR 21.53

$0.92 MX$15.83

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 MUR 106

$2.96 MX$51.2

-23.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 MUR 75.6

$4.41 MX$76.3

-63.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 MUR 57.4

$1.40 MX$24.16

-12.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 MUR 32.64

$1.88 MX$32.60

-62.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 MUR 52.9

$1.56 MX$26.97

-27.56%

Eggs

$2.31 MUR 108

$2.61 MX$45.14

-11.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MUR 558

$8.32 MX$144

43.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 MUR 153

$8.35 MX$145

-60.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.44 MUR 208

$10.86 MX$188

-59.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 MUR 92.3

$2.71 MX$46.93

-27.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 MUR 94.4

$1.51 MX$26.04

33.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 MUR 68.2

$1.87 MX$32.41

-21.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 MUR 123

$2.19 MX$37.89

20.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 MUR 48.32

$1.86 MX$32.14

-44.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 MUR 47.18

$2.23 MX$38.59

-54.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 MUR 39.13

$1.07 MX$18.48

-21.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 MUR 38.14

$1.09 MX$18.79

-25.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 MUR 307

$4.19 MX$72.4

56.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.21 MUR 385

$10.43 MX$180

-21.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MUR 81.5

$1.66 MX$28.68

4.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 MUR 106

$2.61 MX$45.19

-13.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 MUR 46.83

$0.54 MX$9.37

85.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 MUR 210

$3.08 MX$53.3

45.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 MUR 123

$2.40 MX$41.61

9.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.98 MUR 936

$3.13 MX$54.1

538.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MUR 68.1

$1.31 MX$22.69

10.69%

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

$35.4K MUR 1.7M

$29.8K MX$515.7K

18.68%

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

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

$23.3K MX$403.5K

24.93%

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

$50.4 MUR 2,361

$81.3 MX$1,406

-37.99%

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

$18.70 MUR 876

$22.56 MX$390

-17.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.21 MUR 1,556

$30.05 MX$520

10.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.47 MUR 1,802

$52.9 MX$915

-27.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$5.91 MUR 277

$4.92 MX$85.1

20.12%

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

$157 MUR 7,336

$201 MX$3,474

-22.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,965 MUR 185.7K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

-23.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 MUR 3,928

$35.92 MX$622

133.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.3 MUR 3,666

$40.13 MX$694

95.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 MUR 6,123

$79.7 MX$1,379

64.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 MUR 4,483

$86.5 MX$1,496

10.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$504 MUR 23.6K

$978 MX$16.9K

-48.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 MUR 16.5K

$470 MX$8,140

-25.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 MUR 44.6K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-42.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$713 MUR 33.4K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-40.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.42

-41.59%

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

Last update for Bambous: July 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $504 in Bambous and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Bambous vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $187 vs $252, with Bambous 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

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

Bambous and Playa del Carmen differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($975 vs $1,260 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,463 in Bambous and $1,890 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: $504 in Bambous versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $157 in Bambous versus $201 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 Bambous – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $975 in Bambous versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bambous but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bambous 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.

Safety-wise, Bambous 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 Bambous gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.