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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $729 per month in Berkane vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,118 per month in Berkane vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,506 per month in Berkane vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Berkane is about 43% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Berkane and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Berkane 46% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.21 MAD 38.90

$11.94 MX$208

-64.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.87 MAD 221

$42.75 MX$744

-44.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.61 MAD 61.1

$10.59 MX$184

-37.58%

Cappuccino

$1.66 MAD 15.31

$3.62 MX$63.0

-54.14%

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

$0.63 MAD 5.87

$1.47 MX$25.54

-57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 MAD 2.99

$0.94 MX$16.41

-65.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 MAD 34.72

$3.09 MX$53.8

21.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MAD 34.00

$4.46 MX$77.6

-17.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 MAD 7.65

$1.43 MX$24.80

-41.96%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 MAD 4.57

$1.88 MX$32.79

-73.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MAD 16.16

$1.63 MX$28.34

7.36%

Eggs

$1.97 MAD 18.23

$2.64 MX$45.99

-25.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.88 MAD 91.4

$8.21 MX$143

20.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 MAD 57.5

$8.29 MX$144

-25.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MAD 103

$11.10 MX$193

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 MAD 12.77

$2.65 MX$46.14

-47.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 MAD 12.09

$1.50 MX$26.11

-12.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 MAD 7.75

$1.99 MX$34.59

-57.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.81 MAD 7.48

$2.08 MX$36.13

-61.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 MAD 6.78

$1.79 MX$31.11

-59.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 MAD 7.06

$2.18 MX$37.87

-65.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 MAD 3.62

$1.08 MX$18.73

-63.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MAD 5.46

$1.04 MX$18.04

-43.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 MAD 39.17

$3.97 MX$69.1

6.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 MAD 72.9

$10.20 MX$178

-22.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 MAD 25.18

$1.73 MX$30.04

57.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 MAD 26.15

$2.50 MX$43.46

13.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MAD 4.33

$0.52 MX$9.02

-9.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.46 MAD 152

$26.97 MX$469

-38.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 MAD 5.83

$3.14 MX$54.7

-79.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MAD 4.72

$2.40 MX$41.80

-78.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 MAD 41.39

$3.09 MX$53.7

44.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MAD 14.22

$1.27 MX$22.16

21.26%

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

$37.8K MAD 350.0K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

22.52%

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

$29.5K MAD 273.2K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

26.66%

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

$35.99 MAD 333

$82.0 MX$1,427

-56.12%

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

$10.99 MAD 102

$22.45 MX$391

-51.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.00 MAD 370

$29.66 MX$516

34.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.14 MAD 223

$51.9 MX$903

-53.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.79 MAD 211

$18.67 MX$325

22.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.61 MAD 61.2

$4.97 MX$86.5

33.00%

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

$105 MAD 976

$198 MX$3,442

-46.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,557 MAD 32.9K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

-32.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.43 MAD 355

$36.34 MX$632

5.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MAD 369

$40.05 MX$697

-0.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 MAD 793

$79.9 MX$1,390

7.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 MAD 660

$88.9 MX$1,547

-19.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 MAD 2,578

$963 MX$16.8K

-71.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 MAD 1,609

$465 MX$8,086

-62.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 MAD 4,600

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-68.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 MAD 2,774

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-75.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,809 MAD 16.7K

$3,942 MX$68.6K

-54.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$873 MAD 8,075

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-86.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$275 MAD 2,547

$720 MX$12.5K

-61.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.78

11.42

-58.14%

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

Last update for Berkane: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $279 in Berkane versus $963 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 162% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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 $24.00 in Berkane versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $251 – making Berkane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 77%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,093 per month in Berkane and $1,930 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 Berkane, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Berkane and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $729 in Berkane and $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Berkane, where all-in costs run around $729, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Berkane it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Berkane – 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 Berkane. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.