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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,259 per month in Bathurst vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,323 per month in Bathurst vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,388 per month in Bathurst vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Bathurst costs about 80% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Bathurst sits 69% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.34 A$23.42

$11.99 MX$210

36.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 A$113

$41.78 MX$733

89.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.73 A$13.94

$10.75 MX$189

-9.49%

Cappuccino

$3.46 A$4.96

$3.50 MX$61.3

-1.14%

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

$2.48 A$3.56

$1.45 MX$25.41

71.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.16

$0.88 MX$15.52

151.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.46 A$9.25

$2.95 MX$51.7

118.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 A$9.94

$4.51 MX$79.1

53.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 A$2.20

$1.43 MX$25.12

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 A$3.50

$1.84 MX$32.23

33.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 A$2.77

$1.57 MX$27.51

22.93%

Eggs

$4.41 A$6.31

$2.51 MX$44.06

75.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.75 A$12.53

$8.28 MX$145

5.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.62 A$12.36

$8.43 MX$148

2.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 A$19.68

$10.68 MX$187

28.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.77

$2.61 MX$45.76

27.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 A$4.05

$1.44 MX$25.22

96.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.15

$1.96 MX$34.41

47.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 A$5.73

$2.09 MX$36.74

91.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.45

$1.85 MX$32.47

30.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 A$2.98

$2.17 MX$38.02

-4.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 A$3.01

$1.03 MX$18.09

103.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 A$2.17

$1.07 MX$18.84

41.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.48 A$43.67

$4.10 MX$72.0

643.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 A$19.61

$10.17 MX$178

34.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.62 A$6.62

$1.68 MX$29.38

175.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 A$7.57

$2.53 MX$44.31

109.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.59 A$3.71

$0.51 MX$8.93

407.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 A$92.3

$26.04 MX$457

147.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 A$5.02

$3.23 MX$56.7

8.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 A$2.24

$2.41 MX$42.19

-34.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.53 A$48.03

$3.23 MX$56.6

938.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 A$1.63

$1.32 MX$23.17

-13.64%

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

$28.9K A$41.4K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-2.67%

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

$22.4K A$32.0K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

-5.53%

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

$184 A$263

$82.0 MX$1,439

123.95%

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

$27.60 A$39.54

$22.95 MX$403

20.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 A$81.3

$30.11 MX$528

88.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.14 A$70.4

$52.0 MX$912

-5.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.43 A$22.11

$18.53 MX$325

-16.73%

Cinema Ticket

$12.90 A$18.49

$4.98 MX$87.3

159.04%

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

$1,608 A$2,304

$197 MX$3,463

714.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$17.0K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

122.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.7 A$95.6

$35.60 MX$624

87.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.74 A$71.3

$40.33 MX$707

23.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 A$140

$78.8 MX$1,381

23.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 A$152

$88.9 MX$1,560

19.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 A$1,841

$947 MX$16.6K

35.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 A$1,507

$474 MX$8,314

121.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 A$2,897

$1,644 MX$28.8K

23.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,440

$1,211 MX$21.2K

40.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,949 A$9,956

$4,056 MX$71.1K

71.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,940 A$8,510

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-8.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

11.42

-44.48%

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

Last update for Bathurst: July 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Bathurst versus $947 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Bathurst versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $249 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Bathurst is pricier by about 80%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,388 per month in Bathurst and $1,884 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 Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 147% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,608 per month in Bathurst and $197 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Bathurst at $2,259. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bathurst it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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