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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,017 in Bensheim versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,082 in Bensheim versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,147 in Bensheim versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bensheim is roughly 60% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bensheim is 52% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.07 €12.19

$11.72 MX$203

20.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 €73.4

$41.89 MX$725

102.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.03 €10.42

$10.51 MX$182

14.46%

Cappuccino

$3.91 €3.39

$3.59 MX$62.0

8.91%

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

$3.08 €2.66

$1.51 MX$26.10

103.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 €2.44

$0.92 MX$15.83

206.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.29 €4.58

$2.96 MX$51.2

78.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 €3.93

$4.41 MX$76.3

2.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.40 MX$24.16

-12.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.88 MX$32.60

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 €2.84

$1.56 MX$26.97

110.26%

Eggs

$3.83 €3.32

$2.61 MX$45.14

46.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.90 €12.91

$8.32 MX$144

79.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.66 €11.83

$8.35 MX$145

63.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.82 €17.16

$10.86 MX$188

82.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 €2.77

$2.71 MX$46.93

18.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 €1.57

$1.51 MX$26.04

19.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 €1.94

$1.87 MX$32.41

19.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.19 €4.49

$2.19 MX$37.89

136.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.86 MX$32.14

-20.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 €1.31

$2.23 MX$38.59

-32.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 €1.64

$1.07 MX$18.48

76.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.97

$1.09 MX$18.79

2.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.26 €8.02

$4.19 MX$72.4

121.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.82 €5.04

$10.43 MX$180

-44.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.86

$1.66 MX$28.68

-39.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.41

$2.61 MX$45.19

-37.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.48 €3.01

$0.54 MX$9.37

544.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.9 €52.7

$26.16 MX$453

132.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 €5.05

$3.08 MX$53.3

89.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €1.95

$2.40 MX$41.61

-5.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.12 €29.54

$3.13 MX$54.1

990.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.31 MX$22.69

51.15%

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

$31.6K €27.4K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

6.04%

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

$37.9K €32.8K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

62.38%

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

$343 €297

$81.3 MX$1,406

322.29%

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

$25.34 €21.94

$22.56 MX$390

12.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 €44.25

$30.05 MX$520

70.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.30 €34.04

$52.9 MX$915

-25.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.18 €20.07

$18.39 MX$318

26.05%

Cinema Ticket

$14.69 €12.72

$4.92 MX$85.1

198.58%

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

$530 €459

$201 MX$3,474

163.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,428 €5,567

$5,175 MX$89.5K

24.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 €65.0

$35.92 MX$622

108.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.48 €31.59

$40.13 MX$694

-9.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.9

$79.7 MX$1,379

30.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$86.5 MX$1,496

43.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$839 €726

$978 MX$16.9K

-14.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 €579

$470 MX$8,140

42.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,547 €1,339

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-6.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 €1,081

$1,203 MX$20.8K

3.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,853 €4,203

$3,953 MX$68.4K

22.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,718 €3,219

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-43.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,491 €3,889

$677 MX$11.7K

563.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

11.42

-69.61%

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

Last update for Bensheim: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $839 in Bensheim and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bensheim pays 564% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Bensheim vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $347 vs $252 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Bensheim and Playa del Carmen differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($2,017 vs $1,260 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 564% higher in Bensheim, 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: $839 in Bensheim versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Bensheim versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Bensheim. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,017 in Bensheim, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Bensheim. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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, Bensheim 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Bensheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.