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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,448 in Bayamo versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,984 in Bayamo versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,519 in Bayamo versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bayamo is roughly 11% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bayamo is 5% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.21 CUP 77.1

$11.96 MX$203

-73.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.75 CUP 738

$47.38 MX$803

-35.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.78 CUP 163

$11.75 MX$199

-42.30%

Cappuccino

$2.17 CUP 52.1

$4.12 MX$69.9

-47.33%

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

$1.28 CUP 30.64

$1.40 MX$23.71

-8.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 CUP 25.56

$0.91 MX$15.46

16.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 CUP 46.97

$3.21 MX$54.3

-38.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 CUP 42.67

$7.07 MX$120

-74.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 CUP 60.2

$1.68 MX$28.40

49.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 CUP 23.37

$2.15 MX$36.43

-54.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 CUP 58.5

$1.77 MX$30.06

37.85%

Eggs

$4.32 CUP 104

$2.82 MX$47.69

53.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.47 CUP 107

$9.20 MX$156

-51.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.31 CUP 152

$9.23 MX$156

-31.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.40 CUP 226

$12.64 MX$214

-25.63%

Apples (1kg)

$7.33 CUP 176

$2.95 MX$49.99

148.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 CUP 29.32

$1.58 MX$26.75

-22.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 CUP 29.36

$2.22 MX$37.65

-45.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 CUP 30.71

$2.36 MX$40.03

-45.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 CUP 58.3

$1.99 MX$33.76

22.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 CUP 49.10

$1.98 MX$33.53

3.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 CUP 24.32

$1.24 MX$21.01

-18.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 CUP 36.25

$1.21 MX$20.52

24.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 CUP 95.5

$4.60 MX$78.0

-13.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 CUP 243

$10.52 MX$178

-3.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 CUP 47.24

$1.69 MX$28.66

16.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CUP 36.97

$2.77 MX$47.00

-44.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 CUP 4.39

$0.60 MX$10.21

-70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.32 CUP 416

$29.70 MX$503

-41.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 CUP 56.1

$5.24 MX$88.7

-55.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 CUP 17.19

$3.65 MX$61.8

-80.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.77 CUP 475

$5.78 MX$98.0

242.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 CUP 30.79

$1.54 MX$26.06

-16.88%

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

$58.4K CUP 1.4M

$22.8K MX$386.3K

156.22%

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

$91.4K CUP 2.2M

$25.8K MX$437.3K

254.24%

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

$29.51 CUP 708

$90.7 MX$1,536

-67.45%

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

$12.37 CUP 297

$25.19 MX$427

-50.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$250 CUP 5,997

$31.75 MX$538

687.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.91 CUP 958

$68.8 MX$1,165

-41.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.15 CUP 124

$29.37 MX$498

-82.47%

Cinema Ticket

$1.03 CUP 24.65

$4.86 MX$82.4

-78.81%

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

$94.6 CUP 2,270

$226 MX$3,823

-58.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K CUP 354.9K

$4,194 MX$71.0K

252.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.07 CUP 602

$47.38 MX$803

-47.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.33 CUP 536

$43.45 MX$736

-48.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 CUP 1,653

$80.2 MX$1,359

-14.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.76 CUP 1,002

$91.4 MX$1,548

-54.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 CUP 10.3K

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-60.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 CUP 16.1K

$409 MX$6,923

63.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$588 CUP 14.1K

$1,972 MX$33.4K

-70.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$953 CUP 22.9K

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-25.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$390 CUP 9,352

$4,046 MX$68.5K

-90.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$355 CUP 8,512

$6,704 MX$113.6K

-94.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$20.38 CUP 489

$773 MX$13.1K

-97.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-47.60%

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

Last update for Bayamo: September 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Bayamo and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 3694% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31.00 in Bayamo vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $278 per month, with Bayamo cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3694% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $430 in Bayamo versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $31.00 in Bayamo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,448 per month in Bayamo versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,448 in Bayamo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Bayamo. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Bayamo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.