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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,102 in Benoni versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,355 in Benoni versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,609 in Benoni versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Benoni costs roughly 13% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Benoni 19% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.26 R 168

$11.60 MX$200

-11.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.74 R 634

$47.11 MX$812

-17.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.94 R 97.4

$11.88 MX$205

-50.00%

Cappuccino

$2.33 R 38.19

$3.98 MX$68.6

-41.46%

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

$1.20 R 19.58

$1.43 MX$24.60

-16.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R 14.79

$0.82 MX$14.22

9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 R 37.55

$3.19 MX$55.0

-28.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 R 45.14

$6.79 MX$117

-59.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.52

$1.68 MX$28.89

-29.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 R 18.86

$2.20 MX$37.88

-47.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.25

$1.71 MX$29.45

1.17%

Eggs

$2.50 R 41.02

$2.74 MX$47.26

-8.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.10 R 133

$9.58 MX$165

-15.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.92 R 80.5

$9.01 MX$155

-45.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.21 R 118

$12.81 MX$221

-43.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.59

$2.89 MX$49.81

-37.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 R 28.11

$1.50 MX$25.81

14.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.13

$2.15 MX$37.03

-14.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.13

$2.26 MX$38.96

-26.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R 19.63

$1.98 MX$34.15

-39.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 R 19.09

$1.99 MX$34.30

-41.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 R 20.58

$1.23 MX$21.28

2.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 R 21.45

$1.20 MX$20.63

9.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 R 54.3

$4.55 MX$78.5

-27.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.26 R 86.2

$10.37 MX$179

-49.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 R 26.36

$1.62 MX$27.91

-0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 R 32.02

$2.88 MX$49.67

-31.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 R 5.27

$5.39 MX$92.9

-94.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R 15.72

$3.73 MX$64.3

-74.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.89 R 244

$5.77 MX$99.5

158.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 R 25.05

$1.54 MX$26.48

-0.65%

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

$36.0K R 589.0K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

59.47%

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

$32.6K R 533.6K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

25.04%

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

$204 R 3,339

$91.4 MX$1,576

123.12%

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

$38.80 R 636

$25.20 MX$435

53.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.16 R 625

$31.24 MX$539

22.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.56 R 304

$67.2 MX$1,159

-72.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 R 122

$4.86 MX$83.8

53.70%

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

$245 R 4,019

$224 MX$3,856

9.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,491 R 89.9K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

29.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 R 881

$47.10 MX$812

14.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.94 R 539

$44.29 MX$764

-25.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 R 1,523

$80.1 MX$1,381

16.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 R 1,371

$92.7 MX$1,598

-9.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 R 6,603

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-62.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 R 5,110

$390 MX$6,728

-20.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$483 R 7,908

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-77.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,049 R 33.6K

$758 MX$13.1K

170.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

11.45

-4.72%

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

Last update for Benoni: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Benoni and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Benoni pays 170% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Benoni vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $276 per month, with Benoni cheaper across the board.

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

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

Benoni and Playa del Carmen differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,102 vs $1,266 including rent). Benoni is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 170% higher in Benoni, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $403 in Benoni versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,102 per month in Benoni versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,102 in Benoni versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Benoni but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Benoni the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Benoni and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Benoni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.