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: $985 in Bambous versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,620 in Bambous versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,255 in Bambous versus $3,082 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 26% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.38 MUR 205

$11.94 MX$209

-63.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.78 MUR 2,049

$42.75 MX$748

2.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.52 MUR 211

$10.59 MX$185

-57.32%

Cappuccino

$2.21 MUR 103

$3.62 MX$63.4

-38.95%

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

$1.02 MUR 47.77

$1.47 MX$25.69

-30.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MUR 21.27

$0.94 MX$16.51

-52.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 MUR 105

$3.09 MX$54.1

-27.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 MUR 79.1

$4.46 MX$78.0

-62.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 MUR 57.4

$1.43 MX$24.94

-13.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MUR 30.61

$1.88 MX$32.97

-65.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 MUR 52.5

$1.63 MX$28.50

-31.29%

Eggs

$2.22 MUR 104

$2.64 MX$46.26

-15.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 MUR 558

$8.21 MX$144

45.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 MUR 156

$8.29 MX$145

-59.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.27 MUR 200

$11.10 MX$194

-61.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 MUR 96.0

$2.65 MX$46.40

-22.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MUR 91.4

$1.50 MX$26.26

30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 MUR 68.1

$1.99 MX$34.79

-27.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 MUR 123

$2.08 MX$36.33

26.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 MUR 46.42

$1.79 MX$31.29

-44.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 MUR 43.72

$2.18 MX$38.09

-57.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 MUR 37.26

$1.08 MX$18.84

-25.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 MUR 35.41

$1.04 MX$18.15

-26.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.40 MUR 300

$3.97 MX$69.5

61.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.60 MUR 402

$10.20 MX$179

-15.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MUR 80.7

$1.73 MX$30.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 MUR 102

$2.50 MX$43.71

-12.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 MUR 46.38

$0.52 MX$9.07

90.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.31 MUR 202

$3.14 MX$55.0

37.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 MUR 128

$2.40 MX$42.04

14.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.51 MUR 913

$3.09 MX$54.0

531.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 MUR 66.0

$1.27 MX$22.28

11.02%

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

$35.8K MUR 1.7M

$30.9K MX$540.4K

15.93%

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

$28.4K MUR 1.3M

$23.3K MX$408.0K

21.60%

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

$48.82 MUR 2,284

$82.0 MX$1,435

-40.47%

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

$18.00 MUR 842

$22.45 MX$393

-19.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.69 MUR 1,576

$29.66 MX$519

13.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.75 MUR 1,813

$51.9 MX$908

-25.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 MUR 286

$4.97 MX$87.0

22.74%

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

$157 MUR 7,345

$198 MX$3,462

-20.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,951 MUR 184.9K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

-25.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 MUR 3,977

$36.34 MX$636

133.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.4 MUR 3,713

$40.05 MX$701

98.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 MUR 6,269

$79.9 MX$1,398

67.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.7 MUR 4,383

$88.9 MX$1,555

5.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MUR 23.9K

$963 MX$16.9K

-46.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 MUR 16.5K

$465 MX$8,133

-24.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 MUR 43.9K

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-41.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 MUR 34.0K

$1,209 MX$21.2K

-39.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $511 in Bambous and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Bambous vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $186 vs $251, 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 31% in total monthly costs ($985 vs $1,287 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,478 in Bambous 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $511 in Bambous versus $963 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 $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 Bambous – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $985 in Bambous versus $1,287 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 31% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.