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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,040 in Bhisho versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,623 in Bhisho versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,207 in Bhisho versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bhisho costs roughly 17% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bhisho 22% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.47 R 140

$11.99 MX$210

-29.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.85 R 560

$41.78 MX$733

-18.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 81.7

$10.75 MX$189

-54.05%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 34.08

$3.50 MX$61.3

-41.14%

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

$0.99 R 16.41

$1.45 MX$25.41

-31.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.51

$0.88 MX$15.52

-6.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 R 36.87

$2.95 MX$51.7

-24.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R 41.97

$4.51 MX$79.1

-43.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.44

$1.43 MX$25.12

-22.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 R 16.74

$1.84 MX$32.23

-45.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 R 27.09

$1.57 MX$27.51

4.46%

Eggs

$2.42 R 40.10

$2.51 MX$44.06

-3.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.63 R 126

$8.28 MX$145

-7.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.46 R 73.8

$8.43 MX$148

-47.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.80 R 113

$10.68 MX$187

-36.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.32

$2.61 MX$45.76

-36.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.46

$1.44 MX$25.22

6.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R 25.32

$1.96 MX$34.41

-21.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.45

$2.09 MX$36.74

-20.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.71

$1.85 MX$32.47

-25.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 20.43

$2.17 MX$38.02

-43.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 R 17.41

$1.03 MX$18.09

1.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.79

$1.07 MX$18.84

-16.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 R 47.53

$4.10 MX$72.0

-30.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.76 R 78.9

$10.17 MX$178

-53.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 R 21.93

$1.68 MX$29.38

-21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 R 27.11

$2.53 MX$44.31

-35.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.68 R 27.87

$0.51 MX$8.93

229.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.44 R 371

$26.04 MX$457

-13.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.04

$3.23 MX$56.7

-64.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R 15.92

$2.41 MX$42.19

-60.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 R 67.8

$3.23 MX$56.6

26.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R 20.40

$1.32 MX$23.17

-6.82%

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

$21.7K R 358.4K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-27.09%

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

$23.5K R 389.2K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

-0.64%

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

$119 R 1,969

$82.0 MX$1,439

45.06%

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

$34.53 R 572

$22.95 MX$403

50.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.17 R 698

$30.11 MX$528

40.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.90 R 512

$52.0 MX$912

-40.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 188

$18.53 MX$325

-38.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.81 R 113

$4.98 MX$87.3

36.75%

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

$200 R 3,304

$197 MX$3,463

1.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,334 R 71.8K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

-18.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.70 R 823

$35.60 MX$624

39.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.61 R 540

$40.33 MX$707

-19.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 R 1,487

$78.8 MX$1,381

14.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 R 1,304

$88.9 MX$1,560

-11.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$359 R 5,938

$947 MX$16.6K

-62.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 R 5,472

$474 MX$8,314

-30.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$691 R 11.4K

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-57.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 R 11.4K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-43.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$825 R 13.7K

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-79.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$712 R 11.8K

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-89.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,311 R 54.8K

$654 MX$11.5K

406.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

11.42

0.79%

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

Last update for Bhisho: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $359 in Bhisho and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhisho pays 406% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Bhisho vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $249 per month, with Bhisho 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

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

Bhisho wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bhisho the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 406% higher in Bhisho, 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: $359 in Bhisho versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $200 in Bhisho versus $197 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 41% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,040 in Bhisho versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bhisho but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bhisho the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bhisho delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,040 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bhisho hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Bhisho gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.