Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boquete and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $1,462 in Boquete, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Boquete outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

71

Cost of Living Index in Boquete
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Boquete Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Boquete

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,462

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Boquete and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Boquete and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,462 in Boquete versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Boquete $1,462
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Boquete versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Boquete $2,237
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,011 in Boquete versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Boquete $3,011
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Boquete is roughly 21% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Boquete is 8% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.48 PAB 6.48

$10.76 MX$199

-39.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.69 PAB 39.69

$43.03 MX$795

-7.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 PAB 7.65

$11.79 MX$218

-35.11%

Cappuccino

$3.88 PAB 3.88

$3.87 MX$71.4

0.26%

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

$1.36 PAB 1.36

$1.37 MX$25.29

-0.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 PAB 1.15

$0.84 MX$15.44

36.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 PAB 2.27

$3.10 MX$57.3

-26.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 PAB 5.08

$5.07 MX$93.6

0.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 PAB 1.81

$1.44 MX$26.55

25.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 PAB 2.15

$2.23 MX$41.23

-3.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 PAB 2.25

$1.47 MX$27.17

53.06%

Eggs

$2.60 PAB 2.60

$2.53 MX$46.71

2.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.62 PAB 9.62

$7.30 MX$135

31.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.53 PAB 7.53

$7.86 MX$145

-4.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 PAB 15.28

$12.79 MX$236

19.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 PAB 4.33

$2.90 MX$53.6

49.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 PAB 1.01

$1.44 MX$26.53

-29.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 PAB 4.40

$2.55 MX$47.07

72.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 PAB 2.23

$2.06 MX$38.03

8.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 PAB 2.21

$2.00 MX$36.97

10.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 PAB 2.14

$2.01 MX$37.07

6.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 PAB 2.30

$1.19 MX$22.02

93.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 PAB 1.65

$1.26 MX$23.23

30.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.02 PAB 5.02

$4.40 MX$81.4

14.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 PAB 7.85

$9.59 MX$177

-18.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PAB 1.20

$1.59 MX$29.41

-24.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 PAB 2.59

$2.81 MX$51.9

-7.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 PAB 1.35

$0.57 MX$10.47

136.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.55 PAB 24.55

$27.82 MX$514

-11.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 PAB 1.02

$4.98 MX$92.1

-79.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 PAB 2.06

$3.50 MX$64.6

-41.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.39 PAB 30.39

$5.40 MX$99.8

462.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 PAB 1.13

$1.47 MX$27.08

-23.13%

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

$25.5K PAB 25.5K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

21.70%

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

$22.1K PAB 22.1K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

-7.76%

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

$58.0 PAB 58.0

$84.2 MX$1,556

-31.10%

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

$25.95 PAB 25.95

$23.99 MX$443

8.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.16 PAB 42.16

$29.02 MX$536

45.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.5 PAB 82.5

$63.0 MX$1,164

30.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.48 PAB 17.48

$29.14 MX$539

-40.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.33 PAB 6.33

$4.94 MX$91.3

28.14%

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

$204 MX$3,763

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,075 PAB 6,075

$3,941 MX$72.8K

54.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.42 PAB 25.42

$43.60 MX$806

-41.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.48 PAB 25.48

$43.12 MX$797

-40.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.14 PAB 44.14

$75.8 MX$1,400

-41.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 PAB 825

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-18.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 PAB 710

$374 MX$6,911

89.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 PAB 1,551

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-9.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 PAB 1,284

$1,106 MX$20.4K

16.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,181 PAB 1,181

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-70.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,150 PAB 1,150

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-81.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$784 PAB 784

$754 MX$13.9K

3.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

11.45

-43.23%

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

Last update for Boquete: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Boquete

$710 48.5%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 47.3% $336

Groceries & Markets

Boquete

$295 20.2%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 12.3% $36

Eating Out

Boquete

$153 10.5%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 32.3% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boquete

$126 8.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 8.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Boquete

$95 6.5%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 23.4% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Boquete

$43 * 2.9%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 164% $70

Getting Around

Boquete

$41 2.8%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 27.3% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $825 in Boquete and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boquete pays 4% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Boquete vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $258, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Boquete

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

13:15 1:15 PM

Same time as Boquete

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,000

149,923

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Boquete Playa del Carmen 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Boquete
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Boquete, 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: $825 in Boquete versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Boquete. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,462 per month in Boquete versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,462 in Boquete, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Boquete. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Boquete, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Boquete 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Boquete. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.