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: $384 in Birgunj versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $620 in Birgunj versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $856 in Birgunj versus $3,065 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 71% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.43 NPR 217

$11.73 MX$203

-87.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.86 NPR 2,871

$41.62 MX$720

-54.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.68 NPR 1,017

$10.64 MX$184

-37.22%

Cappuccino

$1.86 NPR 283

$3.52 MX$60.9

-47.16%

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

$0.54 NPR 81.6

$1.51 MX$26.12

-64.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 NPR 21.88

$0.97 MX$16.84

-85.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 NPR 393

$2.95 MX$51.0

-12.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 NPR 561

$4.45 MX$77.0

-17.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 NPR 106

$1.38 MX$23.93

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.26 NPR 39.48

$1.89 MX$32.72

-86.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 NPR 103

$1.64 MX$28.32

-58.54%

Eggs

$1.74 NPR 265

$2.51 MX$43.34

-30.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.81 NPR 1,188

$8.34 MX$144

-6.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.59 NPR 394

$8.34 MX$144

-68.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.04 NPR 920

$10.73 MX$186

-43.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 NPR 344

$2.60 MX$45.04

-13.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 NPR 159

$1.46 MX$25.20

-28.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 NPR 182

$1.90 MX$32.87

-36.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 NPR 97.6

$2.08 MX$35.91

-69.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 NPR 72.5

$1.78 MX$30.71

-73.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 NPR 95.0

$2.19 MX$37.80

-71.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.16 NPR 24.86

$1.04 MX$17.99

-84.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.23 NPR 35.13

$1.08 MX$18.62

-78.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.86 NPR 283

$4.08 MX$70.6

-54.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.93 NPR 1,207

$10.32 MX$178

-23.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 NPR 354

$1.71 MX$29.61

36.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 NPR 493

$2.58 MX$44.54

25.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 NPR 20.98

$0.51 MX$8.81

-72.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 NPR 338

$3.26 MX$56.4

-31.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 NPR 167

$2.49 MX$43.09

-55.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 NPR 550

$3.25 MX$56.2

11.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 NPR 186

$1.31 MX$22.61

-6.87%

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

$32.6K NPR 5.0M

$30.3K MX$523.7K

7.82%

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

$41.1K NPR 6.3M

$23.4K MX$405.3K

75.51%

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

$33.23 NPR 5,058

$82.9 MX$1,433

-59.90%

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

$3.61 NPR 550

$22.22 MX$384

-83.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.91 NPR 1,509

$29.34 MX$507

-66.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.34 NPR 2,183

$51.6 MX$893

-72.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$2.23 NPR 339

$5.07 MX$87.6

-56.02%

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

$90.4 NPR 13.8K

$201 MX$3,473

-55.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,822 NPR 581.7K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-26.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.26 NPR 3,844

$36.92 MX$639

-31.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.58 NPR 4,198

$39.79 MX$688

-30.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$28.79 NPR 4,383

$78.5 MX$1,357

-63.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$18.31 NPR 2,786

$87.1 MX$1,506

-78.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$37.97 NPR 5,780

$973 MX$16.8K

-96.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$44.41 NPR 6,760

$468 MX$8,090

-90.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 NPR 20.7K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-91.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$88.4 NPR 13.5K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-92.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$664 NPR 101.0K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-83.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$493 NPR 75.0K

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-92.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $37.97 in Birgunj and $973 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 $139 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 238% 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 $576 in Birgunj and $1,945 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: $37.97 in Birgunj versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $90.4 in Birgunj versus $201 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 $384 in Birgunj versus $1,297 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 $384 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 238% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.