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: $1,024 in Bel Air versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,704 in Bel Air versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,384 in Bel Air versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bel Air costs roughly 19% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bel Air 24% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.77 MUR 319

$11.87 MX$204

-42.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.15 MUR 2,032

$42.90 MX$736

0.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 MUR 331

$10.65 MX$183

-33.90%

Cappuccino

$1.07 MUR 50.5

$3.45 MX$59.2

-68.99%

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

$1.02 MUR 48.09

$1.50 MX$25.81

-32.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MUR 26.70

$0.95 MX$16.28

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 MUR 76.2

$3.03 MX$51.9

-46.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 MUR 155

$4.61 MX$79.1

-28.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MUR 79.0

$1.38 MX$23.61

21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 MUR 33.40

$1.85 MX$31.70

-61.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 MUR 62.2

$1.61 MX$27.65

-18.01%

Eggs

$2.27 MUR 107

$2.59 MX$44.51

-12.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 MUR 569

$8.26 MX$142

46.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.16 MUR 290

$8.37 MX$144

-26.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.62 MUR 594

$10.66 MX$183

18.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 MUR 94.4

$2.63 MX$45.12

-23.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MUR 91.7

$1.49 MX$25.53

30.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 MUR 67.8

$1.92 MX$32.94

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.72 MUR 128

$2.09 MX$35.81

30.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 MUR 46.16

$1.86 MX$31.88

-47.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 MUR 46.15

$2.26 MX$38.81

-56.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 MUR 40.16

$1.06 MX$18.23

-19.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 MUR 35.80

$1.09 MX$18.67

-30.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 MUR 303

$4.15 MX$71.2

55.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.41 MUR 396

$10.39 MX$178

-19.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MUR 81.4

$1.72 MX$29.59

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 MUR 105

$2.61 MX$44.85

-14.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 MUR 46.89

$0.54 MX$9.30

85.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 MUR 213

$3.13 MX$53.7

44.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 MUR 128

$2.51 MX$43.09

7.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.43 MUR 915

$3.15 MX$54.1

516.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 MUR 65.8

$1.27 MX$21.88

10.24%

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

$36.0K MUR 1.7M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

18.67%

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

$28.5K MUR 1.3M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

20.76%

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

$49.86 MUR 2,348

$83.0 MX$1,425

-39.93%

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

$18.10 MUR 852

$22.71 MX$390

-20.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.01 MUR 1,602

$29.46 MX$506

15.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.76 MUR 1,825

$51.0 MX$875

-24.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 MUR 287

$4.93 MX$84.5

23.73%

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

$156 MUR 7,364

$197 MX$3,386

-20.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,956 MUR 186.3K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-25.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 MUR 4,045

$36.90 MX$633

132.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.0 MUR 3,815

$39.89 MX$685

103.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 MUR 6,105

$80.0 MX$1,373

62.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 MUR 4,425

$89.5 MX$1,536

5.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 MUR 24.4K

$956 MX$16.4K

-45.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 MUR 16.4K

$477 MX$8,189

-27.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 MUR 44.9K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-42.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 MUR 34.1K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-40.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.42

-41.59%

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

Last update for Bel Air: June 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $518 in Bel Air and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Bel Air vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $250 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 24% 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 $1,536 in Bel Air and $1,906 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $518 in Bel Air versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,024 per month in Bel Air versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,024 in Bel Air versus $1,271 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 $1,024 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 24% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.