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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $378 in Birgunj versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $620 in Birgunj versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $863 in Birgunj versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Birgunj costs roughly 70% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Birgunj 72% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.49 NPR 228

$11.99 MX$210

-87.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.16 NPR 2,943

$41.78 MX$731

-54.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.42 NPR 986

$10.75 MX$188

-40.28%

Cappuccino

$1.89 NPR 290

$3.50 MX$61.1

-46.00%

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

$0.54 NPR 82.4

$1.45 MX$25.33

-62.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 NPR 21.25

$0.88 MX$15.47

-84.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 NPR 387

$2.95 MX$51.6

-14.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 NPR 568

$4.51 MX$78.9

-17.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 NPR 114

$1.43 MX$25.04

-48.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.28 NPR 43.07

$1.84 MX$32.13

-84.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.67 NPR 103

$1.57 MX$27.42

-57.32%

Eggs

$1.79 NPR 276

$2.51 MX$43.92

-28.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.94 NPR 1,220

$8.28 MX$145

-4.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.62 NPR 403

$8.43 MX$147

-68.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.04 NPR 927

$10.68 MX$187

-43.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 NPR 349

$2.61 MX$45.62

-13.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 NPR 163

$1.44 MX$25.15

-26.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 NPR 182

$1.96 MX$34.31

-39.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 NPR 108

$2.09 MX$36.62

-66.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 NPR 78.6

$1.85 MX$32.37

-72.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 NPR 96.3

$2.17 MX$37.90

-70.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.15 NPR 23.66

$1.03 MX$18.04

-85.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.23 NPR 35.44

$1.07 MX$18.78

-78.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 NPR 283

$4.10 MX$71.7

-55.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.65 NPR 1,329

$10.17 MX$178

-14.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 NPR 362

$1.68 MX$29.29

40.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 NPR 518

$2.53 MX$44.17

33.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 NPR 24.83

$0.51 MX$8.90

-68.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 NPR 326

$3.23 MX$56.5

-34.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 NPR 163

$2.41 MX$42.06

-56.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 NPR 553

$3.23 MX$56.5

11.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 NPR 186

$1.32 MX$23.10

-8.33%

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

$32.3K NPR 5.0M

$29.7K MX$519.2K

8.85%

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

$40.6K NPR 6.2M

$23.7K MX$413.7K

71.42%

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

$33.18 NPR 5,097

$82.0 MX$1,434

-59.54%

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

$3.67 NPR 563

$22.95 MX$401

-84.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.85 NPR 1,513

$30.11 MX$527

-67.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.73 NPR 2,262

$52.0 MX$909

-71.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$324

Cinema Ticket

$2.16 NPR 331

$4.98 MX$87.0

-56.63%

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

$90.8 NPR 14.0K

$197 MX$3,452

-53.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,718 NPR 571.1K

$5,336 MX$93.3K

-30.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.12 NPR 3,859

$35.60 MX$622

-29.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.68 NPR 4,252

$40.33 MX$705

-31.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$29.27 NPR 4,496

$78.8 MX$1,377

-62.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$17.99 NPR 2,764

$88.9 MX$1,555

-79.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$38.60 NPR 5,930

$947 MX$16.6K

-95.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$43.96 NPR 6,752

$474 MX$8,288

-90.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$141 NPR 21.6K

$1,644 MX$28.7K

-91.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$85.9 NPR 13.2K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-92.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$645 NPR 99.0K

$4,056 MX$70.9K

-84.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$498 NPR 76.4K

$6,470 MX$113.1K

-92.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.08

11.42

5.78%

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

Last update for Birgunj: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $38.60 in Birgunj and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Birgunj vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $143 vs $249 per month, with Birgunj 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

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

Birgunj wins on cost – living expenses run 232% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Birgunj the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $567 in Birgunj and $1,884 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $38.60 in Birgunj versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $90.8 in Birgunj versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Birgunj – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $378 in Birgunj versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Birgunj but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Birgunj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Birgunj delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $378 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Birgunj hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Birgunj 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 Birgunj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 232% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.