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: $535 in Bambous versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $902 in Bambous versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,268 in Bambous versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bambous costs roughly 58% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bambous 61% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.36 MUR 207

$11.60 MX$199

-62.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.99 MUR 1,804

$47.11 MX$809

-19.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.12 MUR 196

$11.88 MX$204

-65.32%

Cappuccino

$2.13 MUR 101

$3.98 MX$68.2

-46.48%

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

$1.09 MUR 51.6

$1.43 MX$24.49

-23.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MUR 20.79

$0.82 MX$14.16

-46.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MUR 127

$3.19 MX$54.7

-16.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 MUR 74.7

$6.79 MX$117

-76.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 MUR 56.8

$1.68 MX$28.76

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 MUR 34.69

$2.20 MX$37.71

-66.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 MUR 51.4

$1.71 MX$29.32

-36.84%

Eggs

$2.59 MUR 123

$2.74 MX$47.05

-5.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.29 MUR 251

$9.58 MX$164

-44.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.23 MUR 153

$9.01 MX$155

-64.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.27 MUR 203

$12.81 MX$220

-66.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 MUR 98.4

$2.89 MX$49.58

-28.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 MUR 124

$1.50 MX$25.70

73.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 MUR 68.8

$2.15 MX$36.87

-32.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 MUR 138

$2.26 MX$38.79

28.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 MUR 44.71

$1.98 MX$34.00

-52.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 MUR 45.74

$1.99 MX$34.15

-51.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 MUR 33.62

$1.23 MX$21.18

-42.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 MUR 43.51

$1.20 MX$20.54

-23.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 MUR 298

$4.55 MX$78.1

38.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 MUR 406

$10.37 MX$178

-17.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MUR 78.2

$1.62 MX$27.79

1.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 MUR 108

$2.88 MX$49.44

-21.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 MUR 198

$5.39 MX$92.5

-22.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.12 MUR 148

$3.73 MX$64.0

-16.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.89 MUR 992

$5.77 MX$99.0

262.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MUR 63.9

$1.54 MX$26.37

-12.99%

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

$36.6K MUR 1.7M

$22.5K MX$387.0K

62.13%

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

$31.7K MUR 1.5M

$26.1K MX$447.3K

21.79%

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

$44.49 MUR 2,113

$91.4 MX$1,569

-51.31%

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

$10.62 MUR 505

$25.20 MX$433

-57.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.53 MUR 1,403

$31.24 MX$536

-5.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$6.48 MUR 308

$4.86 MX$83.5

33.33%

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

$128 MUR 6,059

$224 MX$3,839

-42.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,820 MUR 371.4K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

84.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.6 MUR 3,734

$47.10 MX$808

66.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.4 MUR 3,579

$44.29 MX$760

70.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 MUR 5,725

$80.1 MX$1,375

50.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.8 MUR 3,648

$92.7 MX$1,591

-17.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.45

-41.75%

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

Last update for Bambous: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $38.00 in Bambous vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $173 vs $276 per month, with Bambous 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

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

Bambous and Playa del Carmen differ by about 137% in total monthly costs ($535 vs $1,266 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $803 in Bambous and $1,899 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 $128 in Bambous versus $224 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 $38.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $535 in Bambous versus $1,266 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 137% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.