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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,393 per month in Budaors vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Budaors vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,681 per month in Budaors vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Budaors costs about 8% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Budaors sits 4% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.65 Ft 3,622

$11.94 MX$208

-2.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.5 Ft 16.0K

$42.75 MX$744

20.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 Ft 2,635

$10.59 MX$184

-19.92%

Cappuccino

$2.33 Ft 724

$3.62 MX$63.0

-35.64%

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

$1.74 Ft 541

$1.47 MX$25.54

18.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 Ft 418

$0.94 MX$16.41

43.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 Ft 745

$3.09 MX$53.8

-22.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 Ft 920

$4.46 MX$77.6

-33.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 Ft 325

$1.43 MX$24.80

-27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 Ft 474

$1.88 MX$32.79

-19.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 Ft 644

$1.63 MX$28.34

26.99%

Eggs

$3.12 Ft 971

$2.64 MX$45.99

18.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 Ft 3,158

$8.21 MX$143

23.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.14 Ft 1,909

$8.29 MX$144

-25.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 Ft 4,161

$11.10 MX$193

20.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 570

$2.65 MX$46.14

-30.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 Ft 616

$1.50 MX$26.11

32.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 Ft 671

$1.99 MX$34.59

8.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 Ft 1,004

$2.08 MX$36.13

55.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 Ft 365

$1.79 MX$31.11

-34.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 Ft 440

$2.18 MX$37.87

-34.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 Ft 466

$1.08 MX$18.73

38.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 Ft 179

$1.04 MX$18.04

-45.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 Ft 2,066

$3.97 MX$69.1

67.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.84 Ft 1,505

$10.20 MX$178

-52.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 Ft 353

$1.73 MX$30.04

-34.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 Ft 532

$2.50 MX$43.46

-31.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 Ft 393

$0.52 MX$9.02

142.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.75 Ft 4,273

$26.97 MX$469

-49.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 Ft 1,007

$3.14 MX$54.7

3.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 Ft 372

$2.40 MX$41.80

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 Ft 5,884

$3.09 MX$53.7

512.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 Ft 573

$1.27 MX$22.16

44.88%

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

$25.6K Ft 8.0M

$30.9K MX$537.3K

-17.04%

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

$31.3K Ft 9.7M

$23.3K MX$405.7K

34.32%

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

$146 Ft 45.2K

$82.0 MX$1,427

77.45%

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

$26.28 Ft 8,169

$22.45 MX$391

17.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.34 Ft 6,011

$29.66 MX$516

-34.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.6 Ft 21.6K

$51.9 MX$903

34.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.40 Ft 3,233

$18.67 MX$325

-44.30%

Cinema Ticket

$8.99 Ft 2,794

$4.97 MX$86.5

80.89%

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

$463 Ft 144.0K

$198 MX$3,442

134.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,053 Ft 2.5M

$5,273 MX$91.7K

52.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.7 Ft 21.1K

$36.34 MX$632

86.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.46 Ft 12.0K

$40.05 MX$697

-3.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 Ft 28.2K

$79.9 MX$1,390

13.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 Ft 28.3K

$88.9 MX$1,547

2.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 Ft 164.7K

$963 MX$16.8K

-45.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 Ft 163.7K

$465 MX$8,086

13.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 Ft 254.9K

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-48.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 Ft 250.9K

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-33.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 Ft 1.3M

$3,942 MX$68.6K

4.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,932 Ft 1.2M

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-39.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,720 Ft 534.5K

$720 MX$12.5K

138.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

11.42

-34.33%

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

Last update for Budaors: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $530 in Budaors versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 139% higher in Budaors, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Budaors versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $232 in Budaors vs $251 in Playa del Carmen – so Budaors wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,393 in Budaors, $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 8% apart. Budaors costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,090 per month in Budaors and $1,930 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Budaors – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Budaors and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,287, than in Budaors at $1,393. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budaors it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,287 in Playa del Carmen to $1,393 in Budaors. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budaors makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.