Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pembroke and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,374 in Pembroke, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. The total is higher in Pembroke despite lower rent and utilities.

115

Cost of Living Index in Pembroke
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Pembroke Living Index
59

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

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Pembroke

🇧🇲 Bermuda

$2,374

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,374 in Pembroke versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Pembroke $2,374
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,871 in Pembroke versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Pembroke $3,871
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,368 in Pembroke versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Pembroke $5,368
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Pembroke is roughly 97% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pembroke is 75% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$49.04 BMD 49.04

$10.86 MX$201

351.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$152 BMD 152

$44.21 MX$817

243.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.78 BMD 16.78

$11.76 MX$217

42.69%

Cappuccino

$4.38 BMD 4.38

$3.68 MX$68.0

19.02%

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

$3.02 BMD 3.02

$1.34 MX$24.79

125.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 BMD 3.05

$0.82 MX$15.24

271.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.63 BMD 7.63

$3.06 MX$56.6

149.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.86 BMD 8.86

$4.94 MX$91.2

79.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.80 BMD 4.80

$1.47 MX$27.17

226.53%

White Bread (500g)

$8.14 BMD 8.14

$2.22 MX$40.95

266.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.40 BMD 5.40

$1.48 MX$27.32

264.86%

Eggs

$7.07 BMD 7.07

$2.49 MX$45.99

183.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.42 BMD 23.42

$7.52 MX$139

211.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$21.37 BMD 21.37

$7.96 MX$147

168.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.80 BMD 19.80

$12.57 MX$232

57.52%

Apples (1kg)

$8.94 BMD 8.94

$2.78 MX$51.3

221.58%

Banana (1kg)

$6.75 BMD 6.75

$1.43 MX$26.37

372.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.25 BMD 7.25

$2.62 MX$48.37

176.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.46 BMD 8.46

$2.14 MX$39.49

295.33%

Potato (1kg)

$5.78 BMD 5.78

$2.02 MX$37.38

186.14%

Onion (1kg)

$4.05 BMD 4.05

$1.99 MX$36.74

103.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$6.34 BMD 6.34

$1.14 MX$21.01

456.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.50 BMD 3.50

$1.20 MX$22.18

191.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.99 BMD 17.99

$4.26 MX$78.7

322.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.37 BMD 24.37

$10.02 MX$185

143.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.17 BMD 5.17

$1.54 MX$28.41

235.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 BMD 4.27

$2.66 MX$49.17

60.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$131 BMD 131

$27.51 MX$508

377.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 BMD 6.37

$4.90 MX$90.6

30.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.54 BMD 2.54

$3.43 MX$63.5

-25.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.5 BMD 70.5

$5.38 MX$99.4

1209.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.42 BMD 2.42

$1.45 MX$26.76

66.90%

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

$37.3K BMD 37.3K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

76.31%

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

$42.9K BMD 42.9K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

86.23%

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

$291 BMD 291

$85.4 MX$1,577

240.51%

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

$150 BMD 150

$23.46 MX$434

541.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$160 BMD 160

$28.43 MX$525

463.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.1 BMD 78.1

$62.2 MX$1,149

25.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$13.34 BMD 13.34

$5.10 MX$94.3

161.57%

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

$1,303 BMD 1,303

$201 MX$3,715

547.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K BMD 25.5K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

546.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.5 BMD 91.5

$44.39 MX$820

106.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.1 BMD 71.1

$41.35 MX$764

71.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 BMD 141

$72.7 MX$1,344

94.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 BMD 127

$89.6 MX$1,656

41.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,811 BMD 3,811

$979 MX$18.1K

289.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,056 BMD 8,056

$738 MX$13.6K

992.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.63

11.45

-24.63%

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

Last update for Pembroke: October 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pembroke

$748 31.5%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 65.5% $490

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pembroke

$601 25.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 77.2% $464

Eating Out

Pembroke

$575 24.2%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 65.2% $375

Clothing & Footwear

Pembroke

$194 8.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 42.4% $82

Getting Around

Pembroke

$150 * 6.3%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 65.6% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Pembroke

$105 4.4%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 30.9% $32

Accommodation & Living

Pembroke

- * 0%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

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 $3,811 in Pembroke and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pembroke pays 992% 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: $152 in Pembroke vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $748 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇲 Pembroke

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

21:07 9:07 PM

19:07 7:07 PM

2 h behind Pembroke

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,160

149,923

💱 Currency

Bermudian Dollar BMD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BMD = 1 USD

1 BMD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BMD – Bermudian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇲 Bermudian Dollar ($)

Bermudian Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BMD (1 BMD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BMD (1 BMD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to BMD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Pembroke Playa del Carmen 2,560 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Pembroke
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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 97% lower than in Pembroke. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 992% higher in Pembroke, 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: $3,811 in Pembroke versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,303 in Pembroke versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 190% higher in Pembroke. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,374 in Pembroke, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Pembroke. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,204 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Pembroke and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Pembroke. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.