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: $982 in Bambous versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,592 in Bambous versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,202 in Bambous versus $2,980 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

$4.29 MUR 202

$11.87 MX$204

-63.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.82 MUR 2,111

$42.90 MX$736

4.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.31 MUR 203

$10.65 MX$183

-59.53%

Cappuccino

$2.25 MUR 106

$3.45 MX$59.2

-34.78%

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

$0.94 MUR 44.43

$1.50 MX$25.81

-37.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MUR 21.36

$0.95 MX$16.28

-52.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 MUR 103

$3.03 MX$51.9

-28.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 MUR 75.4

$4.61 MX$79.1

-65.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 MUR 57.7

$1.38 MX$23.61

-10.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 MUR 33.50

$1.85 MX$31.70

-61.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 MUR 52.3

$1.61 MX$27.65

-31.06%

Eggs

$2.24 MUR 105

$2.59 MX$44.51

-13.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.79 MUR 555

$8.26 MX$142

42.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 MUR 156

$8.37 MX$144

-60.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.52 MUR 213

$10.66 MX$183

-57.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 MUR 97.0

$2.63 MX$45.12

-21.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MUR 94.8

$1.49 MX$25.53

34.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 MUR 70.5

$1.92 MX$32.94

-21.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 MUR 127

$2.09 MX$35.81

29.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 MUR 46.41

$1.86 MX$31.88

-46.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 47.15

$2.26 MX$38.81

-55.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 MUR 37.21

$1.06 MX$18.23

-25.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 MUR 37.29

$1.09 MX$18.67

-27.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.51 MUR 307

$4.15 MX$71.2

56.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 MUR 402

$10.39 MX$178

-17.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MUR 80.8

$1.72 MX$29.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 MUR 101

$2.61 MX$44.85

-17.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 MUR 48.88

$0.54 MX$9.30

92.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 MUR 209

$3.13 MX$53.7

41.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 MUR 129

$2.51 MX$43.09

8.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.90 MUR 937

$3.15 MX$54.1

531.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 MUR 65.8

$1.27 MX$21.88

10.24%

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

$35.4K MUR 1.7M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

16.44%

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

$29.2K MUR 1.4M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

24.00%

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

$49.66 MUR 2,338

$83.0 MX$1,425

-40.17%

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

$18.59 MUR 876

$22.71 MX$390

-18.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.77 MUR 1,590

$29.46 MX$506

14.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.88 MUR 1,831

$51.0 MX$875

-23.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$6.07 MUR 286

$4.93 MX$84.5

23.12%

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

$157 MUR 7,385

$197 MX$3,386

-20.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,932 MUR 185.2K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-25.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.2 MUR 3,965

$36.90 MX$633

128.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.3 MUR 3,733

$39.89 MX$685

98.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 MUR 6,282

$80.0 MX$1,373

66.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 MUR 4,418

$89.5 MX$1,536

4.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 MUR 24.1K

$956 MX$16.4K

-46.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 MUR 16.5K

$477 MX$8,189

-26.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$931 MUR 43.8K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-43.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 MUR 33.8K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-41.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $513 in Bambous and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Bambous vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $250, 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 ($982 vs $1,271 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,473 in Bambous and $1,906 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: $513 in Bambous versus $956 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 $197 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 $45.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $982 in Bambous versus $1,271 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.