Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Freeport and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,671 in Freeport, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Freeport
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Freeport Living Index
59

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

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Freeport

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$2,671

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Freeport 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 Freeport and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,671 in Freeport versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Freeport $2,671
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,315 in Freeport versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Freeport $4,315
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,959 in Freeport versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Freeport $5,959
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Freeport is roughly 121% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Freeport is 98% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$46.97 BSD 46.97

$10.76 MX$199

336.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 BSD 101

$43.03 MX$795

135.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.48 BSD 12.48

$11.79 MX$218

5.85%

Cappuccino

$6.52 BSD 6.52

$3.87 MX$71.4

68.48%

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

$3.19 BSD 3.19

$1.37 MX$25.29

132.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 BSD 2.88

$0.84 MX$15.44

242.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.68 BSD 4.68

$3.10 MX$57.3

50.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 BSD 7.19

$5.07 MX$93.6

41.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 BSD 2.30

$1.44 MX$26.55

59.72%

White Bread (500g)

$5.51 BSD 5.51

$2.23 MX$41.23

147.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.58 BSD 8.58

$1.47 MX$27.17

483.67%

Eggs

$9.12 BSD 9.12

$2.53 MX$46.71

260.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.57 BSD 16.57

$7.30 MX$135

126.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.24 BSD 7.24

$7.86 MX$145

-7.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.01 BSD 14.01

$12.79 MX$236

9.54%

Apples (1kg)

$10.11 BSD 10.11

$2.90 MX$53.6

248.62%

Banana (1kg)

$4.16 BSD 4.16

$1.44 MX$26.53

188.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.08 BSD 10.08

$2.55 MX$47.07

295.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$12.78 BSD 12.78

$2.06 MX$38.03

520.39%

Potato (1kg)

$4.60 BSD 4.60

$2.00 MX$36.97

130.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 BSD 2.59

$2.01 MX$37.07

28.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.32 BSD 4.32

$1.19 MX$22.02

263.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 BSD 3.20

$1.26 MX$23.23

153.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.92 BSD 14.92

$4.40 MX$81.4

239.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.31 BSD 20.31

$9.59 MX$177

111.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 BSD 4.48

$2.81 MX$51.9

59.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 BSD 1.83

$0.57 MX$10.47

221.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 BSD 3.07

$4.98 MX$92.1

-38.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 BSD 3.07

$3.50 MX$64.6

-12.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$98.1 BSD 98.1

$5.40 MX$99.8

1715.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 BSD 1.67

$1.47 MX$27.08

13.61%

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

$36.9K BSD 36.9K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

75.86%

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

$34.4K BSD 34.4K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

43.82%

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

$268 BSD 268

$84.2 MX$1,556

218.44%

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

$64.1 BSD 64.1

$23.99 MX$443

167.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.7 BSD 66.7

$29.02 MX$536

129.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 BSD 54.8

$63.0 MX$1,164

-12.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.8 BSD 55.8

$29.14 MX$539

91.42%

Cinema Ticket

$17.90 BSD 17.90

$4.94 MX$91.3

262.35%

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

$574 BSD 574

$204 MX$3,763

182.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,541 BSD 8,541

$3,941 MX$72.8K

116.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.78 BSD 48.78

$43.60 MX$806

11.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 BSD 92.4

$75.8 MX$1,400

21.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 BSD 68.8

$88.6 MX$1,637

-22.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$997 BSD 997

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-1.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$927 BSD 927

$374 MX$6,911

147.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,253 BSD 2,253

$1,708 MX$31.6K

31.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,974 BSD 1,974

$1,106 MX$20.4K

78.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,252 BSD 4,252

$3,944 MX$72.9K

7.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,343 BSD 3,343

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-45.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,570 BSD 1,570

$754 MX$13.9K

108.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.72

11.45

11.09%

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

Last update for Freeport: October 10, 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

Freeport

$927 34.7%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 59.6% $553

Groceries & Markets

Freeport

$581 * 21.8%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 55.5% $322

Eating Out

Freeport

$553 20.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 63.5% $351

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Freeport

$399 14.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 65.6% $262

Clothing & Footwear

Freeport

$94 * 3.5%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 19.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Freeport

$91 3.4%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 19.6% $18

Getting Around

Freeport

$26 * 1%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 104% $27

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 $997 in Freeport and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Freeport pays 108% 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: $101 in Freeport vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $581 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇸 Freeport

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

04:03 4:03 AM

03:03 3:03 AM

1 h behind Freeport

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

45,945

149,923

💱 Currency

Bahamian Dollar BSD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BSD = 1 USD

1 BSD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BSD – Bahamian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇸 Bahamian Dollar ($)

Bahamian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BSD (1 BSD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BSD (1 BSD = 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 BSD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Freeport Playa del Carmen 1,080 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Freeport
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

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

Freeport and Playa del Carmen differ by about 121% in total monthly costs ($2,671 vs $1,210 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 108% higher in Freeport, 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: $997 in Freeport versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $574 in Freeport versus $204 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $101 in Freeport. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,671 in Freeport, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Freeport. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 121% less than in Freeport. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.