Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bayamon and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,080 in Bayamon, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Bayamon
Learn more

Bayamon Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Bayamon

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,080

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,080 in Bayamon versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Bayamon $2,080
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,123 in Bayamon versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Bayamon $3,123
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,166 in Bayamon versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Bayamon $4,166
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Bayamon is roughly 73% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bayamon is 53% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.78 $18.78

$10.92 MX$205

71.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.4 $82.4

$43.37 MX$815

89.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.00 $9.00

$11.78 MX$221

-23.60%

Cappuccino

$3.37 $3.37

$3.81 MX$71.6

-11.55%

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

$1.85 $1.85

$1.28 MX$24.10

44.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.78 MX$14.71

75.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.17 MX$59.5

-6.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$4.93 MX$92.7

-20.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.41 MX$26.43

51.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.22 MX$41.66

58.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.42 MX$26.64

59.86%

Eggs

$5.39 $5.39

$2.52 MX$47.41

113.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.93 $10.93

$7.26 MX$137

50.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.88 $7.88

$7.70 MX$145

2.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.31 $11.31

$12.69 MX$239

-10.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.78 MX$52.3

69.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.37 MX$25.71

91.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$2.55 MX$47.94

80.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.12 MX$39.90

133.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.94 MX$36.43

40.72%

Onion (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$1.89 MX$35.44

115.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.15 MX$21.55

199.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.18 MX$22.16

29.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.14 $11.14

$4.30 MX$80.7

159.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.85 $15.85

$9.95 MX$187

59.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.58 MX$29.76

65.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.67 MX$50.2

28.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.55 MX$10.40

270.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.06 $12.06

$26.62 MX$500

-54.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 $2.47

$4.97 MX$93.4

-50.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$3.33 MX$62.6

-55.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.60 $41.60

$5.36 MX$101

676.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.44 MX$27.14

-20.83%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

70.81%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

17.19%

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

$221 $221

$84.8 MX$1,594

160.66%

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

$69.3 $69.3

$23.41 MX$440

195.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 $59.9

$28.66 MX$539

108.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.58 $24.58

$57.1 MX$1,072

-56.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$9.97 $9.97

$5.14 MX$96.6

93.97%

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

$814 $814

$207 MX$3,882

293.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K $12.7K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

222.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.13 $25.13

$43.35 MX$815

-42.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 $61.6

$41.44 MX$779

48.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$74.2 MX$1,394

46.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.28 $49.28

$89.3 MX$1,677

-44.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 $1,014

$980 MX$18.4K

3.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$917 $917

$381 MX$7,157

140.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 $1,635

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-4.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 $1,551

$1,075 MX$20.2K

44.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,037 $2,037

$735 MX$13.8K

177.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

11.45

-42.79%

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

Last update for Bayamon: October 25, 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

Bayamon

$917 44.1%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 58.5% $536

Groceries & Markets

Bayamon

$376 18.1%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 32.2% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bayamon

$350 16.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 60.9% $213

Eating Out

Bayamon

$253 12.2%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 20.1% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Bayamon

$110 5.3%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 1.5% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Bayamon

$45 2.1%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 51.2% $23

Getting Around

Bayamon

$30 1.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 67.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Bayamon and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bayamon pays about 2.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $82 in Bayamon vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $376 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇷 Bayamon

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

22:04 10:04 PM

1 h behind Bayamon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,368

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bayamon Playa del Carmen 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bayamon
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

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

Playa del Carmen is about 42% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Bayamon is about 2.8 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Bayamon versus $980 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 $43 versus $82 in Bayamon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,080 per month in Bayamon versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 42% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,080 in Bayamon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Bayamon. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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.

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