Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nassau and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $4,294 in Nassau, rent and utilities included – about $37,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

208

Cost of Living Index in Nassau
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Nassau Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Nassau

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$4,294

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,294 in Nassau versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Nassau $4,294
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,859 in Nassau versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Nassau $6,859
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,425 in Nassau versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Nassau $9,425
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Nassau is roughly 257% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nassau is 215% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$38.88 BSD 38.88

$10.92 MX$205

256.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$204 BSD 204

$43.37 MX$815

370.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 BSD 11.88

$11.78 MX$221

0.85%

Cappuccino

$5.62 BSD 5.62

$3.81 MX$71.6

47.51%

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

$3.28 BSD 3.28

$1.28 MX$24.10

156.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 BSD 2.03

$0.78 MX$14.71

160.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 BSD 5.09

$3.17 MX$59.5

60.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 BSD 8.83

$4.93 MX$92.7

79.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.98 BSD 3.98

$1.41 MX$26.43

182.27%

White Bread (500g)

$5.54 BSD 5.54

$2.22 MX$41.66

149.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.04 BSD 7.04

$1.42 MX$26.64

395.77%

Eggs

$7.48 BSD 7.48

$2.52 MX$47.41

196.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 BSD 10.30

$7.26 MX$137

41.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.11 BSD 18.11

$7.70 MX$145

135.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.83 BSD 26.83

$12.69 MX$239

111.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.71 BSD 5.71

$2.78 MX$52.3

105.40%

Banana (1kg)

$3.63 BSD 3.63

$1.37 MX$25.71

164.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.26 BSD 5.26

$2.55 MX$47.94

106.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.47 BSD 10.47

$2.12 MX$39.90

393.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 BSD 3.01

$1.94 MX$36.43

55.15%

Onion (1kg)

$5.27 BSD 5.27

$1.89 MX$35.44

178.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.77 BSD 4.77

$1.15 MX$21.55

314.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 BSD 2.72

$1.18 MX$22.16

130.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.92 BSD 14.92

$4.30 MX$80.7

246.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$33.53 BSD 33.53

$9.95 MX$187

236.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.43 BSD 5.43

$1.58 MX$29.76

243.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 BSD 5.06

$2.67 MX$50.2

89.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 BSD 2.55

$0.55 MX$10.40

363.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$149 BSD 149

$26.62 MX$500

461.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.12 BSD 8.12

$4.97 MX$93.4

63.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 BSD 3.04

$3.33 MX$62.6

-8.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.10 BSD 49.10

$5.36 MX$101

816.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 BSD 1.54

$1.44 MX$27.14

6.94%

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

$30.4K BSD 30.4K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

47.30%

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

$43.1K BSD 43.1K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

83.84%

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

$399 BSD 399

$84.8 MX$1,594

370.95%

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

$70.2 BSD 70.2

$23.41 MX$440

200.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$110 BSD 110

$28.66 MX$539

283.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$200 BSD 200

$57.1 MX$1,072

250.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.34 BSD 44.34

$28.91 MX$543

53.37%

Cinema Ticket

$20.30 BSD 20.30

$5.14 MX$96.6

294.94%

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

$876 BSD 876

$207 MX$3,882

323.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K BSD 16.3K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

315.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.25 BSD 49.25

$43.35 MX$815

13.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$120 BSD 120

$41.44 MX$779

190.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 BSD 130

$74.2 MX$1,394

74.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 BSD 134

$89.3 MX$1,677

49.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 BSD 1,495

$980 MX$18.4K

52.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 BSD 1,963

$381 MX$7,157

415.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,705 BSD 4,705

$1,708 MX$32.1K

175.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,945 BSD 3,945

$1,075 MX$20.2K

266.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,451 BSD 6,451

$3,943 MX$74.1K

63.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,511 BSD 3,511

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-42.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,293 BSD 3,293

$735 MX$13.8K

348.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.38

11.45

-35.55%

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

Last update for Nassau: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Nassau

$2K 45.7%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 80.6% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Nassau

$655 15.2%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 61.1% $400

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nassau

$580 13.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 76.4% $443

Eating Out

Nassau

$478 11.1%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 57.7% $276

Sport & Entertainment

Nassau

$240 5.6%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 72% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Nassau

$195 4.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 42.7% $83

Getting Around

Nassau

$183 4.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 72.4% $132

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,495 in Nassau and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nassau pays about 4.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $204 in Nassau vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $655 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇸 Nassau

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

05:03 5:03 AM

Same time as Nassau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

259,300 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Bahamian Dollar BSD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BSD = 1 USD

1 BSD = 0.896 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BSD (1 BSD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BSD (1 BSD = 0.896 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to BSD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nassau Playa del Carmen 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Nassau
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

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

Playa del Carmen is about 72% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Nassau is about 4.5 times higher, 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: $1,495 in Nassau versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $4,294 per month in Nassau versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 72% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 82% less than in Nassau. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,294 in Nassau, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Nassau. 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 72% less than in Nassau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.