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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,668 in Bridgetown versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,891 in Bridgetown versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,115 in Bridgetown versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bridgetown is roughly 32% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bridgetown is 25% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.90 BBD 39.79

$11.72 MX$203

69.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.5 BBD 185

$41.89 MX$725

120.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.00 BBD 17.99

$10.51 MX$182

-14.37%

Cappuccino

$4.80 BBD 9.60

$3.59 MX$62.0

33.70%

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

$1.53 BBD 3.06

$1.51 MX$26.10

1.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 BBD 2.56

$0.92 MX$15.83

39.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 BBD 5.09

$2.96 MX$51.2

-14.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 BBD 11.68

$4.41 MX$76.3

32.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.81 BBD 7.62

$1.40 MX$24.16

172.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 BBD 5.50

$1.88 MX$32.60

46.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 BBD 6.57

$1.56 MX$26.97

110.26%

Eggs

$5.56 BBD 11.13

$2.61 MX$45.14

113.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.29 BBD 18.58

$8.32 MX$144

11.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.74 BBD 17.47

$8.35 MX$145

4.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.88 BBD 19.77

$10.86 MX$188

-9.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 BBD 8.19

$2.71 MX$46.93

51.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 BBD 5.09

$1.51 MX$26.04

68.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 BBD 9.24

$1.87 MX$32.41

147.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 BBD 6.23

$2.19 MX$37.89

42.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 BBD 5.74

$1.86 MX$32.14

54.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 BBD 4.89

$2.23 MX$38.59

9.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 BBD 5.74

$1.07 MX$18.48

168.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 BBD 4.17

$1.09 MX$18.79

90.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.21 BBD 16.41

$4.19 MX$72.4

95.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.63 BBD 27.26

$10.43 MX$180

30.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 BBD 3.32

$1.66 MX$28.68

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 BBD 5.83

$2.61 MX$45.19

11.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 BBD 3.58

$0.54 MX$9.37

231.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.56 BBD 51.1

$26.16 MX$453

-2.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$17.38 BBD 34.75

$3.08 MX$53.3

464.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 BBD 1.97

$2.40 MX$41.61

-58.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.18 BBD 80.4

$3.13 MX$54.1

1183.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 BBD 4.06

$1.31 MX$22.69

54.96%

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

$34.5K BBD 68.9K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

15.60%

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

$37.3K BBD 74.6K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

59.93%

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

$85.8 BBD 172

$81.3 MX$1,406

5.59%

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

$58.1 BBD 116

$22.56 MX$390

157.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.93 BBD 99.9

$30.05 MX$520

66.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 BBD 144

$52.9 MX$915

36.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 BBD 20.85

$4.92 MX$85.1

111.79%

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

$240 BBD 479

$201 MX$3,474

19.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,494 BBD 13.0K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

25.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 BBD 121

$35.92 MX$622

67.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.0 BBD 128

$40.13 MX$694

59.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$182 BBD 363

$79.7 MX$1,379

127.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 BBD 247

$86.5 MX$1,496

43.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$599 BBD 1,198

$978 MX$16.9K

-38.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$485 BBD 970

$470 MX$8,140

3.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,782 BBD 3,565

$1,651 MX$28.6K

7.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 BBD 2,675

$1,203 MX$20.8K

11.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,536 BBD 7,072

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-10.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,559 BBD 7,117

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-46.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,587 BBD 3,174

$677 MX$11.7K

134.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

11.42

-48.77%

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

Last update for Bridgetown: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $599 in Bridgetown and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bridgetown pays 135% 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: $92.0 in Bridgetown vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $252 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Bridgetown. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 135% higher in Bridgetown, 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: $599 in Bridgetown versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $240 in Bridgetown versus $201 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 44% higher in Bridgetown. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,668 in Bridgetown, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Bridgetown. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,260 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bridgetown 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 32% less than in Bridgetown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.