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 $1,735 per month in Benidorm vs $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,559 per month in Benidorm vs $2,189 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,383 per month in Benidorm vs $3,084 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Benidorm costs about 34% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Benidorm sits 30% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.14 €13.21

$11.73 MX$204

29.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.0 €46.25

$41.78 MX$725

26.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 €8.42

$10.41 MX$181

-7.30%

Cappuccino

$2.41 €2.10

$3.61 MX$62.6

-33.24%

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

$2.36 €2.06

$1.46 MX$25.28

61.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$0.97 MX$16.84

47.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 €3.11

$2.92 MX$50.8

22.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 €3.10

$4.62 MX$80.2

-22.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 €0.97

$1.43 MX$24.80

-22.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.90 MX$32.98

-31.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.57 MX$27.18

-6.37%

Eggs

$2.83 €2.46

$2.64 MX$45.73

7.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.43 €9.97

$8.44 MX$146

35.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.51 €7.43

$8.58 MX$149

-0.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.02 €12.23

$11.00 MX$191

27.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 €1.84

$2.70 MX$46.91

-21.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 €1.56

$1.51 MX$26.15

17.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.91 MX$33.22

7.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.17 MX$37.69

9.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.87 MX$32.53

0.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$2.23 MX$38.76

-9.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.96

$1.08 MX$18.76

1.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 €0.39

$1.07 MX$18.63

-58.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 €5.54

$4.16 MX$72.2

52.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.31 €4.63

$10.29 MX$179

-48.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.20

$1.68 MX$29.20

-18.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.32

$2.53 MX$43.96

-40.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.87 €1.63

$0.55 MX$9.61

240.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.96 €35.73

$26.29 MX$456

55.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 €3.09

$3.20 MX$55.5

10.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 €1.10

$2.46 MX$42.73

-48.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.16 €21.95

$3.20 MX$55.5

686.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.32 MX$22.91

37.12%

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

$32.6K €28.5K

$30.2K MX$523.3K

8.20%

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

$32.3K €28.2K

$23.4K MX$406.0K

38.25%

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

$144 €126

$81.4 MX$1,412

77.25%

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

$13.22 €11.54

$22.41 MX$389

-41.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.77 €26.84

$29.97 MX$520

2.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 €45.91

$51.6 MX$895

2.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.46 €35.30

$18.39 MX$319

120.01%

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 €8.83

$5.16 MX$89.6

96.12%

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

$412 €359

$202 MX$3,501

104.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,613 €6,642

$5,311 MX$92.2K

43.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.1

$35.61 MX$618

190.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.40 €24.78

$40.37 MX$701

-29.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.6 €60.7

$78.6 MX$1,365

-11.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 €90.2

$86.9 MX$1,507

19.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$966 €843

$950 MX$16.5K

1.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$841 €733

$478 MX$8,298

75.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,403

$1,621 MX$28.1K

-0.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,334 €1,164

$1,223 MX$21.2K

9.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,360 €4,677

$4,009 MX$69.6K

33.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,765 €2,412

$6,473 MX$112.3K

-57.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,785 €1,557

$673 MX$11.7K

165.23%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $966 in Benidorm versus $950 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 165% 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 – $241 in Benidorm vs $254 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 34%, 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 $2,602 per month in Benidorm and $1,941 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 $412 per month in Benidorm and $202 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 5% 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 $1,294, than in Benidorm at $1,735. 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.