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: $1,059 in Bel Air versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,704 in Bel Air versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,350 in Bel Air versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bel Air costs roughly 16% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bel Air 20% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.80 MUR 318

$11.72 MX$203

-41.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.54 MUR 2,086

$41.89 MX$725

6.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 MUR 328

$10.51 MX$182

-33.30%

Cappuccino

$1.13 MUR 53.0

$3.59 MX$62.0

-68.52%

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

$1.00 MUR 46.94

$1.51 MX$26.10

-33.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 MUR 26.03

$0.92 MX$15.83

-39.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 MUR 75.3

$2.96 MX$51.2

-45.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MUR 157

$4.41 MX$76.3

-24.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MUR 79.5

$1.40 MX$24.16

21.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MUR 30.55

$1.88 MX$32.60

-65.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MUR 62.1

$1.56 MX$26.97

-14.74%

Eggs

$2.26 MUR 106

$2.61 MX$45.14

-13.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 MUR 566

$8.32 MX$144

45.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 MUR 282

$8.35 MX$145

-28.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.40 MUR 581

$10.86 MX$188

14.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 MUR 93.7

$2.71 MX$46.93

-26.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 MUR 94.4

$1.51 MX$26.04

33.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 MUR 67.1

$1.87 MX$32.41

-23.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 MUR 128

$2.19 MX$37.89

24.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 MUR 46.60

$1.86 MX$32.14

-46.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 47.03

$2.23 MX$38.59

-55.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 MUR 37.74

$1.07 MX$18.48

-24.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 MUR 37.65

$1.09 MX$18.79

-26.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 MUR 308

$4.19 MX$72.4

56.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.28 MUR 388

$10.43 MX$180

-20.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MUR 80.9

$1.66 MX$28.68

4.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 MUR 106

$2.61 MX$45.19

-13.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 MUR 48.32

$0.54 MX$9.37

90.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 MUR 205

$3.08 MX$53.3

42.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 MUR 122

$2.40 MX$41.61

8.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.94 MUR 934

$3.13 MX$54.1

537.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 MUR 65.6

$1.31 MX$22.69

6.87%

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

$36.1K MUR 1.7M

$29.8K MX$515.7K

21.06%

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

$28.3K MUR 1.3M

$23.3K MX$403.5K

21.49%

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

$48.67 MUR 2,280

$81.3 MX$1,406

-40.12%

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

$18.13 MUR 849

$22.56 MX$390

-19.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.21 MUR 1,602

$30.05 MX$520

13.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.64 MUR 1,810

$52.9 MX$915

-26.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$6.11 MUR 286

$4.92 MX$85.1

24.19%

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

$155 MUR 7,278

$201 MX$3,474

-22.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,926 MUR 183.9K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

-24.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 MUR 3,928

$35.92 MX$622

133.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.9 MUR 3,791

$40.13 MX$694

101.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 MUR 6,277

$79.7 MX$1,379

68.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 MUR 4,400

$86.5 MX$1,496

8.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 MUR 24.2K

$978 MX$16.9K

-47.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 MUR 16.8K

$470 MX$8,140

-23.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 MUR 44.0K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-43.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$733 MUR 34.3K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-39.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $516 in Bel Air and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Bel Air vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $230 vs $252, 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 19% 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 $1,588 in Bel Air and $1,890 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: $516 in Bel Air versus $978 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 $1,059 per month in Bel Air versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,059 in Bel Air versus $1,260 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 $1,059 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 19% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.