Cost of Living Comparison Between Bel Air and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Bel Air and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $609 in Bel Air versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,009 in Bel Air versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,410 in Bel Air versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bel Air costs roughly 52% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bel Air 56% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.71 MUR 271

$11.60 MX$199

-50.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.67 MUR 1,837

$47.11 MX$809

-17.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.22 MUR 343

$11.88 MX$204

-39.23%

Cappuccino

$1.08 MUR 51.5

$3.98 MX$68.2

-72.86%

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

$1.08 MUR 51.3

$1.43 MX$24.49

-24.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 MUR 27.64

$0.82 MX$14.16

-29.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 MUR 74.2

$3.19 MX$54.7

-51.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MUR 147

$6.79 MX$117

-54.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 MUR 73.9

$1.68 MX$28.76

-7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 MUR 37.18

$2.20 MX$37.71

-64.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 MUR 52.7

$1.71 MX$29.32

-35.09%

Eggs

$2.58 MUR 122

$2.74 MX$47.05

-5.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.46 MUR 259

$9.58 MX$164

-43.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.47 MUR 307

$9.01 MX$155

-28.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.27 MUR 535

$12.81 MX$220

-12.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 MUR 130

$2.89 MX$49.58

-5.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 MUR 124

$1.50 MX$25.70

74.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 MUR 66.6

$2.15 MX$36.87

-34.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 MUR 138

$2.26 MX$38.79

28.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 47.49

$1.98 MX$34.00

-49.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 MUR 47.14

$1.99 MX$34.15

-50.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 MUR 32.86

$1.23 MX$21.18

-43.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 MUR 43.37

$1.20 MX$20.54

-24.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.32 MUR 300

$4.55 MX$78.1

38.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 MUR 396

$10.37 MX$178

-19.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MUR 80.3

$1.62 MX$27.79

4.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 MUR 110

$2.88 MX$49.44

-19.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.34 MUR 206

$5.39 MX$92.5

-19.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 MUR 149

$3.73 MX$64.0

-15.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.29 MUR 1,011

$5.77 MX$99.0

268.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MUR 63.9

$1.54 MX$26.37

-12.34%

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

$37.1K MUR 1.8M

$22.5K MX$387.0K

64.75%

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

$31.1K MUR 1.5M

$26.1K MX$447.3K

19.44%

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

$45.51 MUR 2,162

$91.4 MX$1,569

-50.20%

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

$10.67 MUR 507

$25.20 MX$433

-57.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.21 MUR 1,388

$31.24 MX$536

-6.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$6.48 MUR 308

$4.86 MX$83.5

33.33%

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

$129 MUR 6,114

$224 MX$3,839

-42.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,597 MUR 360.9K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

79.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.1 MUR 3,664

$47.10 MX$808

63.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.4 MUR 3,533

$44.29 MX$760

67.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 MUR 5,668

$80.1 MX$1,375

48.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 MUR 3,726

$92.7 MX$1,591

-15.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.45

-41.75%

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

Last update for Bel Air: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $39.00 in Bel Air vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $219 vs $276 per month, with Bel Air cheaper across the board.

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

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

Bel Air wins on cost – living expenses run 108% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bel Air the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $913 in Bel Air and $1,899 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $609 per month in Bel Air versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 108% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $609 in Bel Air versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bel Air but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bel Air the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bel Air delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $609 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bel Air hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bel Air 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.

Expats usually find Bel Air gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.