Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bata and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,431 in Bata, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Bata

🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea

$1,431

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,431 per month in Bata vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Bata $1,431
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Bata vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Bata $2,102
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,773 per month in Bata vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Bata $2,773
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Bata costs about 19% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bata sits 5% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.02 FCFA 11.2K

$10.92 MX$204

74.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.01 FCFA 24.7K

$43.37 MX$808

-3.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

Cappuccino

$2.62 FCFA 1,545

$3.81 MX$71.0

-31.23%

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

$1.32 FCFA 779

$1.28 MX$23.90

3.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 FCFA 519

$0.78 MX$14.59

12.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 FCFA 1,997

$3.17 MX$59.0

6.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 FCFA 2,470

$4.93 MX$92.0

-15.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 FCFA 1,029

$1.41 MX$26.22

24.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 FCFA 1,818

$2.22 MX$41.33

39.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 FCFA 880

$1.42 MX$26.42

4.93%

Eggs

$2.06 FCFA 1,211

$2.52 MX$47.03

-18.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 FCFA 6,097

$7.26 MX$135

42.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 FCFA 4,999

$7.70 MX$143

10.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.25 FCFA 6,035

$12.69 MX$237

-19.23%

Apples (1kg)

$10.16 FCFA 5,984

$2.78 MX$51.9

265.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 FCFA 995

$1.37 MX$25.50

23.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.70 FCFA 5,124

$2.55 MX$47.55

241.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 FCFA 2,062

$2.12 MX$39.58

65.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 FCFA 1,552

$1.94 MX$36.13

36.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 FCFA 1,473

$1.89 MX$35.16

32.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 FCFA 480

$1.15 MX$21.37

-29.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 FCFA 740

$1.18 MX$21.98

6.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 FCFA 3,039

$4.30 MX$80.1

20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.11 FCFA 3,599

$9.95 MX$185

-38.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.50 FCFA 2,064

$1.58 MX$29.52

121.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 FCFA 510

$4.97 MX$92.6

-82.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 FCFA 481

$3.33 MX$62.1

-75.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 FCFA 641

$1.44 MX$26.92

-24.31%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

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

$339 FCFA 199.8K

$84.8 MX$1,581

300.08%

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

$23.41 MX$436

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 FCFA 29.7K

$28.66 MX$534

76.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 FCFA 40.6K

$57.1 MX$1,063

20.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

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

$207 MX$3,851

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.8 FCFA 45.8K

$43.35 MX$808

79.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.3 FCFA 39.6K

$41.44 MX$772

62.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 FCFA 84.9K

$74.2 MX$1,383

94.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 FCFA 80.7K

$89.3 MX$1,664

53.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 FCFA 221.5K

$980 MX$18.3K

-61.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 FCFA 127.6K

$381 MX$7,099

-43.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$560 FCFA 330.0K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-67.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 FCFA 198.2K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-68.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$769 FCFA 453.1K

$735 MX$13.7K

4.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Bata: 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

Bata

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Bata

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Bata

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bata

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Bata

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Bata

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Bata

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $376 in Bata 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 run about 5% higher in Bata, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Bata versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $341 in Bata vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇶 Bata

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

22:50 10:50 PM

16:50 4:50 PM

6 h behind Bata

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

230,282

149,923

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to XAF – Central African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 Central African CFA Franc (Fr)

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 589 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to XAF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bata Playa del Carmen 10,650 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Bata
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

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

Bata costs about 19% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,146 per month in Bata and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bata, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $376 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,431 in Bata and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 16% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Bata, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,431 in Bata. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bata makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.