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 $732 per month in Berkane vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,146 per month in Berkane vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,561 per month in Berkane vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Berkane is about 42% 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 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.21 MAD 38.98

$11.87 MX$204

-64.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.29 MAD 215

$42.90 MX$736

-45.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.75 MAD 62.4

$10.65 MX$183

-36.62%

Cappuccino

$1.66 MAD 15.33

$3.45 MX$59.2

-51.88%

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

$0.59 MAD 5.42

$1.50 MX$25.81

-60.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 MAD 3.00

$0.95 MX$16.28

-66.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 MAD 36.48

$3.03 MX$51.9

30.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 MAD 33.98

$4.61 MX$79.1

-20.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 MAD 7.61

$1.38 MX$23.61

-40.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 MAD 4.87

$1.85 MX$31.70

-71.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MAD 16.26

$1.61 MX$27.65

9.32%

Eggs

$1.92 MAD 17.74

$2.59 MX$44.51

-25.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.96 MAD 92.2

$8.26 MX$142

20.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.07 MAD 56.2

$8.37 MX$144

-27.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.96 MAD 101

$10.66 MX$183

2.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.36 MAD 12.57

$2.63 MX$45.12

-48.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 MAD 11.95

$1.49 MX$25.53

-13.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 MAD 7.65

$1.92 MX$32.94

-56.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 MAD 7.24

$2.09 MX$35.81

-62.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 MAD 6.27

$1.86 MX$31.88

-63.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 MAD 7.05

$2.26 MX$38.81

-66.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 MAD 3.65

$1.06 MX$18.23

-63.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MAD 5.50

$1.09 MX$18.67

-45.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MAD 38.11

$4.15 MX$71.2

-0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 MAD 77.2

$10.39 MX$178

-19.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 MAD 23.93

$1.72 MX$29.59

50.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MAD 25.42

$2.61 MX$44.85

5.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MAD 4.73

$0.54 MX$9.30

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.58 MAD 153

$26.94 MX$462

-38.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 MAD 5.75

$3.13 MX$53.7

-80.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MAD 4.41

$2.51 MX$43.09

-80.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 MAD 40.41

$3.15 MX$54.1

38.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 MAD 14.84

$1.27 MX$21.88

25.98%

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

$36.7K MAD 339.9K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

20.97%

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

$29.3K MAD 271.0K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

24.30%

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

$35.81 MAD 331

$83.0 MX$1,425

-56.86%

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

$11.11 MAD 103

$22.71 MX$390

-51.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.24 MAD 372

$29.46 MX$506

36.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.23 MAD 224

$51.0 MX$875

-52.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 MAD 213

$18.33 MX$315

25.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MAD 59.2

$4.93 MX$84.5

29.82%

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

$106 MAD 983

$197 MX$3,386

-46.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,551 MAD 32.9K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-32.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.87 MAD 360

$36.90 MX$633

5.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 MAD 375

$39.89 MX$685

1.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.9 MAD 804

$80.0 MX$1,373

8.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.1 MAD 648

$89.5 MX$1,536

-21.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 MAD 2,621

$956 MX$16.4K

-70.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 MAD 1,603

$477 MX$8,189

-63.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 MAD 4,608

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-69.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 MAD 2,848

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-74.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,480 MAD 13.7K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-62.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$914 MAD 8,453

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-85.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$279 MAD 2,583

$667 MX$11.4K

-58.13%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $283 in Berkane versus $956 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 139% 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 $23.00 in Berkane versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $250 – 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 74%, 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 $1,097 per month in Berkane and $1,906 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 $23.00 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 $732 in Berkane and $1,271 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 $732, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.