Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benidorm and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,707 in Benidorm, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Benidorm outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

82

Cost of Living Index in Benidorm
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Benidorm Living Index
58

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

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Benidorm

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,707

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Benidorm 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 Benidorm and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,707 per month in Benidorm vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Benidorm $1,707
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,498 per month in Benidorm vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Benidorm $2,498
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,290 per month in Benidorm vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Benidorm $3,290
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Benidorm costs about 42% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Benidorm sits 25% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.28 €15.48

$10.92 MX$205

58.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.9 €47.41

$43.37 MX$814

22.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.28 €11.00

$11.78 MX$221

4.24%

Cappuccino

$2.32 €2.08

$3.81 MX$71.5

-39.11%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$1.28 MX$24.07

78.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.05

$0.78 MX$14.70

51.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 €3.05

$3.17 MX$59.5

7.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 €3.29

$4.93 MX$92.7

-25.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €1.02

$1.41 MX$26.40

-19.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 €1.16

$2.22 MX$41.62

-41.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.42 MX$26.61

-0.70%

Eggs

$3.50 €3.13

$2.52 MX$47.36

38.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.98 €9.83

$7.26 MX$136

51.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 €7.25

$7.70 MX$144

5.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.68 €14.04

$12.69 MX$238

23.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 €1.88

$2.78 MX$52.3

-24.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.64

$1.37 MX$25.68

33.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 €1.72

$2.55 MX$47.89

-24.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 €2.38

$2.12 MX$39.86

25.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.94 MX$36.39

-11.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 €1.59

$1.89 MX$35.41

-6.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.15 MX$21.53

-4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 €0.39

$1.18 MX$22.13

-62.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.96 €5.34

$4.30 MX$80.6

38.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €5.13

$9.95 MX$187

-42.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.78

$1.58 MX$29.73

-44.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$2.67 MX$50.1

-64.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 €4.03

$4.97 MX$93.3

-9.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 €1.20

$3.33 MX$62.5

-59.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.26 €21.73

$5.36 MX$101

352.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.44 MX$27.11

19.44%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

65.41%

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

$29.3K €26.2K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

24.89%

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

$157 €141

$84.8 MX$1,592

85.32%

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

$16.38 €14.67

$23.41 MX$439

-30.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.55 €20.20

$28.66 MX$538

-21.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.66

$5.14 MX$96.5

109.73%

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

$575 €515

$207 MX$3,878

178.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,688 €8,677

$3,927 MX$73.7K

146.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 €81.6

$43.35 MX$814

110.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.40 €37.97

$41.44 MX$778

2.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 €86.1

$74.2 MX$1,393

29.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €106

$89.3 MX$1,676

32.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 €898

$980 MX$18.4K

2.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 €750

$381 MX$7,150

119.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,766 €1,581

$1,708 MX$32.1K

3.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 €1,186

$1,075 MX$20.2K

23.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,197 €4,655

$3,943 MX$74.0K

31.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,542 €2,277

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-58.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,785 €1,599

$735 MX$13.8K

143.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

11.45

-71.18%

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

Last update for Benidorm: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Benidorm

$838 49.1%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 54.5% $457

Groceries & Markets

Benidorm

$243 14.2%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 4.9% $12

Eating Out

Benidorm

$241 14.1%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 16.1% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Benidorm

$196 11.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 30.2% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Benidorm

$157 9.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 28.7% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Benidorm

$22 * 1.3%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 212% $46

Getting Around

Benidorm

$11 * 0.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 350% $39

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,002 in Benidorm versus $980 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 in Benidorm are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53 in Benidorm versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Benidorm vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Benidorm wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Benidorm

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

19:47 7:47 PM

6 h behind Benidorm

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,342

149,923

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Benidorm Playa del Carmen 8,340 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Benidorm
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

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

Yes – Benidorm is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,561 per month in Benidorm and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,002 in Benidorm and $980 in Playa del Carmen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,707 in Benidorm and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 29% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $575 per month in Benidorm and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Benidorm at $1,707. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Benidorm 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 $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,707 in Benidorm. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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