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: $1,023 in Bel Air versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,709 in Bel Air versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,395 in Bel Air versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bel Air costs roughly 21% 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 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.72 MUR 314

$11.94 MX$208

-43.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.62 MUR 2,039

$42.75 MX$744

2.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.31 MUR 342

$10.59 MX$184

-30.97%

Cappuccino

$1.13 MUR 52.7

$3.62 MX$63.0

-68.78%

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

$1.04 MUR 48.43

$1.47 MX$25.54

-29.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 MUR 26.33

$0.94 MX$16.41

-40.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 MUR 78.3

$3.09 MX$53.8

-45.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 MUR 150

$4.46 MX$77.6

-28.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MUR 76.8

$1.43 MX$24.80

14.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 MUR 33.30

$1.88 MX$32.79

-62.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 MUR 59.4

$1.63 MX$28.34

-22.09%

Eggs

$2.31 MUR 108

$2.64 MX$45.99

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.68 MUR 546

$8.21 MX$143

42.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.12 MUR 286

$8.29 MX$144

-26.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.70 MUR 594

$11.10 MX$193

14.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 MUR 92.1

$2.65 MX$46.14

-25.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MUR 91.6

$1.50 MX$26.11

30.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 MUR 70.3

$1.99 MX$34.59

-24.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 MUR 123

$2.08 MX$36.13

25.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 MUR 48.07

$1.79 MX$31.11

-42.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 MUR 43.16

$2.18 MX$37.87

-57.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 MUR 36.54

$1.08 MX$18.73

-27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 MUR 35.69

$1.04 MX$18.04

-26.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 MUR 316

$3.97 MX$69.1

70.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.61 MUR 403

$10.20 MX$178

-15.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MUR 80.5

$1.73 MX$30.04

-0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 MUR 100

$2.50 MX$43.46

-14.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 MUR 48.56

$0.52 MX$9.02

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 MUR 210

$3.14 MX$54.7

42.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 MUR 123

$2.40 MX$41.80

10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.76 MUR 924

$3.09 MX$53.7

539.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MUR 68.5

$1.27 MX$22.16

14.96%

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

$35.4K MUR 1.7M

$30.9K MX$537.3K

14.49%

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

$28.6K MUR 1.3M

$23.3K MX$405.7K

22.46%

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

$50.4 MUR 2,354

$82.0 MX$1,427

-38.61%

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

$18.45 MUR 863

$22.45 MX$391

-17.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.73 MUR 1,577

$29.66 MX$516

13.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.42 MUR 1,796

$51.9 MX$903

-25.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$6.07 MUR 284

$4.97 MX$86.5

22.13%

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

$153 MUR 7,153

$198 MX$3,442

-22.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,956 MUR 184.9K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

-24.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 MUR 4,039

$36.34 MX$632

137.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.2 MUR 3,751

$40.05 MX$697

100.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 MUR 6,141

$79.9 MX$1,390

64.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 MUR 4,473

$88.9 MX$1,547

7.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$512 MUR 23.9K

$963 MX$16.8K

-46.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 MUR 16.6K

$465 MX$8,086

-23.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MUR 44.4K

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-40.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 MUR 33.6K

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-40.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $512 in Bel Air and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Bel Air vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $230 vs $251, with Bel Air cheaper for home cooking.

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 26% 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 $1,534 in Bel Air and $1,930 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: $512 in Bel Air versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,023 per month in Bel Air versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,023 in Bel Air versus $1,287 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 $1,023 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 26% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.