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 $1,577 per month in Budaors vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,333 per month in Budaors vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,089 per month in Budaors vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Budaors costs about 25% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Budaors sits 15% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.54 Ft 3,988

$11.60 MX$200

8.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.0 Ft 18.4K

$47.11 MX$812

23.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 Ft 3,579

$11.88 MX$205

-5.30%

Cappuccino

$2.52 Ft 803

$3.98 MX$68.6

-36.68%

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

$1.59 Ft 507

$1.43 MX$24.60

11.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 Ft 637

$0.82 MX$14.22

143.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 Ft 798

$3.19 MX$55.0

-21.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 Ft 928

$6.79 MX$117

-57.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 Ft 397

$1.68 MX$28.89

-25.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 Ft 518

$2.20 MX$37.88

-25.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 Ft 794

$1.71 MX$29.45

46.20%

Eggs

$3.60 Ft 1,144

$2.74 MX$47.26

31.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.18 Ft 3,874

$9.58 MX$165

27.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 Ft 2,181

$9.01 MX$155

-23.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.01 Ft 4,774

$12.81 MX$221

17.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 Ft 695

$2.89 MX$49.81

-24.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 Ft 705

$1.50 MX$25.81

48.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 Ft 786

$2.15 MX$37.03

14.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 Ft 1,325

$2.26 MX$38.96

84.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 Ft 375

$1.98 MX$34.15

-40.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 Ft 456

$1.99 MX$34.30

-28.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 Ft 525

$1.23 MX$21.28

34.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 Ft 193

$1.20 MX$20.63

-49.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.36 Ft 2,660

$4.55 MX$78.5

83.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 Ft 1,775

$10.37 MX$179

-46.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 Ft 407

$1.62 MX$27.91

-20.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 Ft 694

$2.88 MX$49.67

-24.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 Ft 464

$0.60 MX$10.35

143.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.22 Ft 4,841

$28.80 MX$497

-47.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 Ft 1,081

$5.39 MX$92.9

-36.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 Ft 432

$3.73 MX$64.3

-63.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.70 Ft 6,266

$5.77 MX$99.5

241.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 Ft 590

$1.54 MX$26.48

20.13%

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

$32.1K Ft 10.2M

$22.5K MX$388.8K

42.39%

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

$38.3K Ft 12.2M

$26.1K MX$449.3K

47.04%

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

$173 Ft 55.0K

$91.4 MX$1,576

89.17%

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

$25.12 Ft 7,990

$25.20 MX$435

-0.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.75 Ft 6,920

$31.24 MX$539

-30.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 Ft 24.7K

$67.2 MX$1,159

15.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.35 Ft 5,519

$29.11 MX$502

-40.40%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 Ft 3,132

$4.86 MX$83.8

102.47%

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

$570 Ft 181.5K

$224 MX$3,856

155.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,225 Ft 2.6M

$4,229 MX$72.9K

94.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 Ft 32.4K

$47.10 MX$812

116.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.18 Ft 15.0K

$44.29 MX$764

6.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 Ft 34.1K

$80.1 MX$1,381

33.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 Ft 37.1K

$92.7 MX$1,598

25.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$581 Ft 184.7K

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-45.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 Ft 177.9K

$390 MX$6,728

43.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 Ft 272.8K

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-60.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$848 Ft 269.6K

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-33.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,233 Ft 1.3M

$4,001 MX$69.0K

5.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,837 Ft 1.2M

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-40.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,747 Ft 555.6K

$758 MX$13.1K

130.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

11.45

-42.71%

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

Last update for Budaors: September 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $581 in Budaors versus $1,063 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 130% 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 $58.0 in Budaors versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Budaors vs $276 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: $1,577 in Budaors, $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 25% apart. Budaors costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,365 per month in Budaors and $1,899 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 4% 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 $58.0 in Budaors and $47.00 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 $1,266, than in Budaors at $1,577. 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen to $1,577 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.