Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Providence and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,187 in New Providence, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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

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New Providence

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$2,187

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,187 per month in New Providence vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

New Providence $2,187
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $5,301 per month in New Providence vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

New Providence $5,301
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $8,414 per month in New Providence vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

New Providence $8,414
Playa del Carmen $2,959

New Providence costs about 82% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

New Providence sits 61% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$76.1 BSD 76.1

$10.92 MX$205

596.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$151 BSD 151

$43.37 MX$815

249.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

Cappuccino

$5.63 BSD 5.63

$3.81 MX$71.6

47.77%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 BSD 2.08

$1.41 MX$26.43

47.52%

White Bread (500g)

$5.13 BSD 5.13

$2.22 MX$41.66

131.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.02 BSD 5.02

$1.42 MX$26.64

253.52%

Eggs

$9.84 BSD 9.84

$2.52 MX$47.41

290.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.21 BSD 20.21

$7.26 MX$137

178.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.96 BSD 9.96

$7.70 MX$145

29.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.88 BSD 19.88

$12.69 MX$239

56.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 BSD 4.31

$2.78 MX$52.3

55.04%

Banana (1kg)

$5.97 BSD 5.97

$1.37 MX$25.71

335.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.80 BSD 6.80

$2.55 MX$47.94

166.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 BSD 3.91

$2.12 MX$39.90

84.43%

Potato (1kg)

$4.12 BSD 4.12

$1.94 MX$36.43

112.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 BSD 3.07

$1.89 MX$35.44

62.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 BSD 3.08

$1.15 MX$21.55

167.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 BSD 3.07

$1.18 MX$22.16

160.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.30 BSD 15.30

$4.30 MX$80.7

255.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.49 BSD 25.49

$9.95 MX$187

156.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.88 BSD 3.88

$1.58 MX$29.76

145.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 BSD 4.04

$2.67 MX$50.2

51.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 BSD 1.76

$1.44 MX$27.14

22.22%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

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

$40.64 BSD 40.64

$23.41 MX$440

73.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.7 BSD 99.7

$28.66 MX$539

247.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.4 BSD 74.4

$57.1 MX$1,072

30.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 BSD 15.16

$5.14 MX$96.6

194.94%

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

$1,504 BSD 1,504

$207 MX$3,882

628.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K BSD 14.9K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

280.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 BSD 1,526

$980 MX$18.4K

55.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 BSD 714

$381 MX$7,157

87.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,503 BSD 4,503

$1,075 MX$20.2K

318.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for New Providence: 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

New Providence

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

New Providence

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

New Providence

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Providence

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

New Providence

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

New Providence

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

New Providence

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,526 in New Providence versus $980 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $151 in New Providence versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $552 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇸 New Providence

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:11 6:11 AM

Same time as New Providence

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

296,522

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

New Providence Playa del Carmen 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

New Providence
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

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

New Providence costs about 82% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,281 per month in New Providence and $1,806 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,526 in New Providence.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,187 in New Providence and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 45% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,504 per month in New Providence and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in New Providence at $2,187. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Providence it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.