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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,778 per month in Benidorm vs $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,564 per month in Benidorm vs $2,125 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,350 per month in Benidorm vs $2,990 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Benidorm costs about 41% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Benidorm sits 34% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.90 €12.91

$11.72 MX$203

27.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.0 €45.91

$41.89 MX$725

26.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 €8.42

$10.51 MX$182

-7.52%

Cappuccino

$2.36 €2.04

$3.59 MX$62.0

-34.26%

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

$2.34 €2.03

$1.51 MX$26.10

54.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$0.92 MX$15.83

47.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 €3.03

$2.96 MX$51.2

18.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.92

$4.41 MX$76.3

-23.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.01

$1.40 MX$24.16

-16.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.88 MX$32.60

-30.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.56 MX$26.97

-5.77%

Eggs

$2.81 €2.43

$2.61 MX$45.14

7.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.46 €9.93

$8.32 MX$144

37.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.29

$8.35 MX$145

0.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 €12.41

$10.86 MX$188

32.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.88

$2.71 MX$46.93

-19.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.51 MX$26.04

23.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.87 MX$32.41

6.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 €2.01

$2.19 MX$37.89

5.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.56

$1.86 MX$32.14

-3.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 €1.69

$2.23 MX$38.59

-12.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.07 MX$18.48

2.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 €0.39

$1.09 MX$18.79

-58.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 €5.21

$4.19 MX$72.4

43.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.24 €4.54

$10.43 MX$180

-49.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.66 MX$28.68

-21.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.31

$2.61 MX$45.19

-42.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.86 €1.61

$0.54 MX$9.37

244.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.07 €35.57

$26.16 MX$453

57.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 €3.05

$3.08 MX$53.3

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 €1.04

$2.40 MX$41.61

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.80 €21.47

$3.13 MX$54.1

692.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.31 MX$22.69

32.82%

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

$32.2K €27.9K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

8.02%

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

$32.0K €27.7K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

37.28%

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

$141 €122

$81.3 MX$1,406

72.88%

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

$13.27 €11.50

$22.56 MX$390

-41.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.21 €26.16

$30.05 MX$520

0.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 €45.80

$52.9 MX$915

-0.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.80 €34.47

$18.39 MX$318

116.42%

Cinema Ticket

$9.94 €8.61

$4.92 MX$85.1

102.03%

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

$400 €347

$201 MX$3,474

99.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,447 €6,449

$5,175 MX$89.5K

43.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.4

$35.92 MX$622

180.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.43 €25.49

$40.13 MX$694

-26.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.2 €60.8

$79.7 MX$1,379

-11.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €91.0

$86.5 MX$1,496

21.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$971 €841

$978 MX$16.9K

-0.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$840 €727

$470 MX$8,140

78.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,605 €1,390

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-2.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 €1,140

$1,203 MX$20.8K

9.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,349 €4,632

$3,953 MX$68.4K

35.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,762 €2,392

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-58.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,821 €1,577

$677 MX$11.7K

169.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

11.42

-72.59%

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

Last update for Benidorm: July 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $971 in Benidorm versus $978 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.

Salaries run about 169% higher in Benidorm, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Benidorm versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $242 in Benidorm vs $252 in Playa del Carmen – so Benidorm 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

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

Yes – Benidorm is pricier by about 41%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,667 per month in Benidorm and $1,890 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 Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $400 per month in Benidorm and $201 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Benidorm – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,260, than in Benidorm at $1,778. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Benidorm it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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