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: $1,666 in Bridgetown versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,915 in Bridgetown versus $2,189 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,163 in Bridgetown versus $3,084 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bridgetown is roughly 29% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bridgetown is 25% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.68 BBD 39.36

$11.73 MX$202

67.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.4 BBD 185

$41.78 MX$719

121.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 BBD 18.09

$10.41 MX$179

-13.06%

Cappuccino

$5.01 BBD 10.02

$3.61 MX$62.1

38.78%

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

$1.51 BBD 3.02

$1.46 MX$25.06

3.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 BBD 2.43

$0.97 MX$16.70

25.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 BBD 5.03

$2.92 MX$50.3

-14.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 BBD 11.67

$4.62 MX$79.5

26.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.99 BBD 7.99

$1.43 MX$24.59

179.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 BBD 5.49

$1.90 MX$32.70

44.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.24 BBD 6.48

$1.57 MX$26.95

106.37%

Eggs

$5.57 BBD 11.13

$2.64 MX$45.34

110.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 BBD 19.41

$8.44 MX$145

14.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 BBD 18.42

$8.58 MX$148

7.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.06 BBD 20.11

$11.00 MX$189

-8.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 BBD 7.81

$2.70 MX$46.51

44.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 BBD 5.34

$1.51 MX$25.92

76.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 BBD 9.28

$1.91 MX$32.93

142.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.14 BBD 6.29

$2.17 MX$37.37

44.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 BBD 5.78

$1.87 MX$32.25

54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 BBD 4.73

$2.23 MX$38.43

5.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 BBD 5.48

$1.08 MX$18.60

153.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 BBD 4.16

$1.07 MX$18.47

94.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.21 BBD 16.43

$4.16 MX$71.6

97.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.49 BBD 26.98

$10.29 MX$177

31.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 BBD 3.19

$1.68 MX$28.95

-4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 BBD 5.96

$2.53 MX$43.59

17.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.80 BBD 3.60

$0.55 MX$9.53

227.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.52 BBD 53.0

$26.29 MX$452

0.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$17.81 BBD 35.61

$3.20 MX$55.0

456.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 BBD 1.97

$2.46 MX$42.37

-60.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.67 BBD 79.3

$3.20 MX$55.0

1139.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 BBD 4.07

$1.32 MX$22.72

53.79%

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

$35.4K BBD 70.9K

$30.2K MX$518.8K

17.51%

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

$37.1K BBD 74.2K

$23.4K MX$402.5K

58.54%

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

$86.4 BBD 173

$81.4 MX$1,400

6.16%

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

$58.9 BBD 118

$22.41 MX$386

162.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.19 BBD 96.4

$29.97 MX$516

60.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.4 BBD 141

$51.6 MX$887

36.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$10.05 BBD 20.09

$5.16 MX$88.9

94.77%

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

$245 BBD 490

$202 MX$3,471

21.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,559 BBD 13.1K

$5,311 MX$91.4K

23.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 BBD 124

$35.61 MX$613

73.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.0 BBD 126

$40.37 MX$695

56.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 BBD 361

$78.6 MX$1,353

129.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 BBD 255

$86.9 MX$1,495

46.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 BBD 1,199

$950 MX$16.3K

-36.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 BBD 954

$478 MX$8,227

-0.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,806 BBD 3,612

$1,621 MX$27.9K

11.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 BBD 2,659

$1,223 MX$21.0K

8.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 BBD 6,976

$4,009 MX$69.0K

-13.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,486 BBD 6,971

$6,473 MX$111.4K

-46.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,565 BBD 3,129

$673 MX$11.6K

132.52%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $600 in Bridgetown and $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bridgetown pays 133% 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 $368 vs $254 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 29% 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.

Bridgetown pays 133% more on average, 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: $600 in Bridgetown versus $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $245 in Bridgetown versus $202 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 45% higher in Bridgetown. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,666 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 $1,294 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 29% less than in Bridgetown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.