Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belmopan and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Belmopan: $1,069 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Belmopan

🇧🇿 Belize

$1,069

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belmopan and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Belmopan and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,069 per month in Belmopan vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Belmopan $1,069
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,541 per month in Belmopan vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Belmopan $1,541
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $2,013 per month in Belmopan vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Belmopan $2,013
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Belmopan is about 11% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Belmopan and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Belmopan 21% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.64 BZD 15.28

$10.86 MX$201

-29.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.40 BZD 34.80

$44.21 MX$817

-60.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 BZD 14.98

$11.76 MX$217

-36.31%

Cappuccino

$5.58 BZD 11.16

$3.68 MX$68.0

51.63%

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

$0.65 BZD 1.30

$1.34 MX$24.79

-51.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 BZD 1.03

$0.82 MX$15.24

-36.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 BZD 2.93

$3.06 MX$56.6

-52.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 BZD 4.44

$4.94 MX$91.2

-55.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.41 BZD 4.83

$1.47 MX$27.17

63.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 BZD 3.36

$2.22 MX$40.95

-24.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 BZD 3.35

$1.48 MX$27.32

13.51%

Eggs

$1.92 BZD 3.84

$2.49 MX$45.99

-22.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 BZD 17.72

$7.52 MX$139

17.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 BZD 13.05

$7.96 MX$147

-18.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.27 BZD 24.54

$12.57 MX$232

-2.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 BZD 2.22

$1.43 MX$26.37

-22.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 BZD 4.47

$2.62 MX$48.37

-14.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 BZD 11.01

$2.14 MX$39.49

157.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

Wine (Bottle)

$17.31 BZD 34.62

$10.02 MX$185

72.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 BZD 4.43

$1.54 MX$28.41

44.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 BZD 4.54

$2.66 MX$49.17

-14.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.96 BZD 7.93

$0.53 MX$9.73

647.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 BZD 6.31

$4.90 MX$90.6

-35.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.01 BZD 8.02

$3.43 MX$63.5

16.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 BZD 3.54

$1.45 MX$26.76

22.07%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

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

$147 BZD 294

$85.4 MX$1,577

71.93%

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

$49.75 BZD 99.5

$23.46 MX$434

112.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.03 BZD 76.1

$28.43 MX$525

33.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 BZD 89.3

$62.2 MX$1,149

-28.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$9.23 BZD 18.46

$5.10 MX$94.3

80.98%

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

$201 MX$3,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 BZD 884

$979 MX$18.1K

-54.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 BZD 641

$373 MX$6,887

-14.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$542 BZD 1,084

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-50.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Belmopan: October 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Belmopan

–

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Groceries & Markets

Belmopan

–

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Eating Out

Belmopan

–

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belmopan

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Belmopan

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Belmopan

–

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Getting Around

Belmopan

–

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $442 in Belmopan versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Belmopan versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $245 vs $258 – making Belmopan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇿 Belmopan

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

04:50 4:50 AM

05:50 5:50 AM

1 h ahead of Belmopan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,000 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Belize Dollar BZD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.445 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BZD – Belize Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇿 Belize Dollar ($)

Belize Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BZD (1 BZD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.25 BZD (1 BZD = 0.445 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to BZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Belmopan Playa del Carmen 420 km

From you

Belmopan
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,069 in Belmopan, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 13% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,603 per month in Belmopan and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Belmopan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Belmopan and $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,069 in Belmopan and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 13%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Belmopan, where all-in costs run around $1,069, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Belmopan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,069 in Belmopan to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Belmopan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.