Cost of Living Comparison Between Benares and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Benares and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $988 per month in Benares vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,582 per month in Benares vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,177 per month in Benares vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Benares is about 22% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Benares and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Benares 27% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.41 MUR 302

$11.87 MX$204

-46.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.06 MUR 2,075

$42.90 MX$736

2.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 MUR 307

$10.65 MX$183

-38.87%

Cappuccino

$2.65 MUR 125

$3.45 MX$59.2

-23.19%

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

$1.01 MUR 47.71

$1.50 MX$25.81

-32.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 MUR 26.17

$0.95 MX$16.28

-41.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 MUR 101

$3.03 MX$51.9

-29.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 MUR 130

$4.61 MX$79.1

-40.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MUR 70.3

$1.38 MX$23.61

7.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 MUR 31.30

$1.85 MX$31.70

-64.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MUR 62.7

$1.61 MX$27.65

-17.39%

Eggs

$2.34 MUR 110

$2.59 MX$44.51

-9.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 MUR 457

$8.26 MX$142

17.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.09 MUR 287

$8.37 MX$144

-27.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 MUR 501

$10.66 MX$183

-0.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 MUR 93.1

$2.63 MX$45.12

-24.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 MUR 93.1

$1.49 MX$25.53

32.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 MUR 68.3

$1.92 MX$32.94

-24.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 MUR 123

$2.09 MX$35.81

24.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 MUR 47.74

$1.86 MX$31.88

-45.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 MUR 44.92

$2.26 MX$38.81

-57.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 MUR 40.43

$1.06 MX$18.23

-18.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MUR 24.69

$1.09 MX$18.67

-52.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 MUR 279

$4.15 MX$71.2

42.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.62 MUR 453

$10.39 MX$178

-7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MUR 82.2

$1.72 MX$29.59

1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 MUR 99.1

$2.61 MX$44.85

-19.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 MUR 47.46

$0.54 MX$9.30

87.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 MUR 209

$3.13 MX$53.7

41.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 MUR 125

$2.51 MX$43.09

5.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.59 MUR 734

$3.15 MX$54.1

394.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MUR 68.3

$1.27 MX$21.88

14.17%

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

$36.1K MUR 1.7M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

18.73%

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

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

22.43%

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

$48.72 MUR 2,294

$83.0 MX$1,425

-41.30%

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

$18.00 MUR 848

$22.71 MX$390

-20.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.52 MUR 1,532

$29.46 MX$506

10.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.81 MUR 1,781

$51.0 MX$875

-25.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 MUR 281

$4.93 MX$84.5

20.89%

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

$154 MUR 7,261

$197 MX$3,386

-21.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,916 MUR 184.4K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-25.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.65 MUR 2,338

$36.90 MX$633

34.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.37 MUR 2,089

$39.89 MX$685

11.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 MUR 3,934

$80.0 MX$1,373

4.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.3 MUR 3,688

$89.5 MX$1,536

-12.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MUR 24.1K

$956 MX$16.4K

-46.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 MUR 16.7K

$477 MX$8,189

-25.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$935 MUR 44.0K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-43.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 MUR 34.1K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-40.89%

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 %)

6.25

11.42

-45.27%

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

Last update for Benares: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $511 in Benares versus $956 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 $44.00 in Benares versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $215 in Benares vs $250 in Playa del Carmen – so Benares wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $988 in Benares, $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 29% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,481 per month in Benares and $1,906 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 Benares, 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 $44.00 in Benares and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Benares, where all-in costs run around $988, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Benares 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 $988 in Benares to $1,271 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 Benares. 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.