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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,049 in Bel Ombre versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,733 in Bel Ombre versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,417 in Bel Ombre versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bel Ombre costs roughly 17% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bel Ombre 21% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.74 MUR 316

$11.72 MX$203

-42.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.87 MUR 2,055

$41.89 MX$725

4.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 MUR 332

$10.51 MX$182

-32.54%

Cappuccino

$2.56 MUR 120

$3.59 MX$62.0

-28.69%

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

$1.03 MUR 48.42

$1.51 MX$26.10

-31.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 MUR 25.85

$0.92 MX$15.83

-40.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 MUR 106

$2.96 MX$51.2

-23.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 MUR 153

$4.41 MX$76.3

-26.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MUR 79.9

$1.40 MX$24.16

22.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MUR 30.57

$1.88 MX$32.60

-65.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 MUR 59.7

$1.56 MX$26.97

-18.59%

Eggs

$2.26 MUR 106

$2.61 MX$45.14

-13.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MUR 560

$8.32 MX$144

43.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 MUR 284

$8.35 MX$145

-27.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 MUR 588

$10.86 MX$188

15.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 MUR 92.4

$2.71 MX$46.93

-27.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MUR 91.0

$1.51 MX$26.04

28.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 MUR 67.5

$1.87 MX$32.41

-22.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 MUR 122

$2.19 MX$37.89

18.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 MUR 48.24

$1.86 MX$32.14

-44.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 46.79

$2.23 MX$38.59

-55.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 MUR 37.13

$1.07 MX$18.48

-26.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 MUR 37.78

$1.09 MX$18.79

-25.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 MUR 318

$4.19 MX$72.4

62.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.47 MUR 397

$10.43 MX$180

-18.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MUR 80.8

$1.66 MX$28.68

4.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 MUR 106

$2.61 MX$45.19

-13.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 MUR 48.82

$0.54 MX$9.37

92.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 MUR 200

$3.08 MX$53.3

38.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 MUR 128

$2.40 MX$41.61

13.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.55 MUR 916

$3.13 MX$54.1

524.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MUR 68.3

$1.31 MX$22.69

11.45%

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

$35.7K MUR 1.7M

$29.8K MX$515.7K

19.90%

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

$28.6K MUR 1.3M

$23.3K MX$403.5K

22.83%

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

$48.53 MUR 2,273

$81.3 MX$1,406

-40.29%

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

$18.11 MUR 848

$22.56 MX$390

-19.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.67 MUR 1,577

$30.05 MX$520

12.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.66 MUR 1,764

$52.9 MX$915

-28.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 MUR 281

$4.92 MX$85.1

21.75%

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

$155 MUR 7,276

$201 MX$3,474

-22.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,932 MUR 184.2K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

-24.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.1 MUR 4,034

$35.92 MX$622

139.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.6 MUR 3,730

$40.13 MX$694

98.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 MUR 6,114

$79.7 MX$1,379

63.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.7 MUR 4,387

$86.5 MX$1,496

8.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MUR 23.9K

$978 MX$16.9K

-47.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 MUR 16.3K

$470 MX$8,140

-26.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 MUR 44.1K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-43.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 MUR 33.5K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-40.51%

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 Ombre: July 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $511 in Bel Ombre and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Bel Ombre vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $230 vs $252, with Bel Ombre 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 Ombre vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bel Ombre wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bel Ombre the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,574 in Bel Ombre 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: $511 in Bel Ombre versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $155 in Bel Ombre versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bel Ombre – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,049 in Bel Ombre versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bel Ombre but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bel Ombre the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bel Ombre delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,049 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bel Ombre hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bel Ombre 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 Ombre gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.