Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Bay Islands and Playa del Carmen

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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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Bay Islands

🇭🇳 Honduras

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$200

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$819

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$218

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.5

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

$1.31 MX$23.95

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.63

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$58.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$91.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.62

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.48

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.34

Eggs

$2.46 MX$44.94

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$144

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$234

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$25.96

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$46.84

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.02

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.55

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.35

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.01

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.29

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$79.9

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$180

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.07

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.58

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.58

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$501

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$89.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.3

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.12

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

$21.2K MX$387.8K

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

$24.5K MX$447.1K

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

$83.6 MX$1,527

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

$24.03 MX$439

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$536

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,184

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$538

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$92.9

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

$208 MX$3,792

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$73.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$813

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$768

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,379

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,668

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,033

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.8K

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 the Bay Islands: October 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bay Islands

–

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Groceries & Markets

Bay Islands

–

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Eating Out

Bay Islands

–

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bay Islands

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Bay Islands

–

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Bay Islands

–

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Getting Around

Bay Islands

–

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Good to know

🇭🇳 Bay Islands

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

01:54 1:54 AM

02:54 2:54 AM

1 h ahead of the Bay Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,500

149,923

💱 Currency

Honduran Lempira HNL L

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 HNL = 3.72 USD

100 HNL = 3.32 EUR

100 MXN = 5.48 USD

100 MXN = 4.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to HNL – Honduran Lempira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇳 Honduran Lempira (L)

Honduran Lempira exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 26.86 HNL (100 HNL = 3.72 USD). 1 EUR = 30.1 HNL (100 HNL = 3.32 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 18.26 MXN (100 MXN = 5.48 USD). 1 EUR = 20.46 MXN (100 MXN = 4.89 EUR).

USD to HNL in detail →

On the map

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Bay Islands Playa del Carmen 480 km

From you

Bay Islands
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

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

For families, Bay Islands is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bay Islands 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.

It comes down to priorities – Bay Islands wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.