Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Baabda Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Baabda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $994 in Baabda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,602 in Baabda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,211 in Baabda.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 30% more expensive than in Baabda, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Baabda 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$199

$11.95 LBP 1.1M

-2.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$791

$63.4 LBP 5.7M

-26.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$198

$10.05 LBP 899.2K

15.92%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.5

$4.63 LBP 414.3K

-11.66%

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

$1.37 MX$23.34

$2.31 LBP 207.0K

-40.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.16

$0.86 LBP 76.8K

-3.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.9

$4.90 LBP 438.3K

-31.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$5.09 LBP 455.7K

35.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.33

$1.96 LBP 175.0K

-11.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.39

$0.85 LBP 75.8K

165.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.05

$2.17 LBP 194.0K

-18.43%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.41

$3.49 LBP 312.7K

-21.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$156

$13.30 LBP 1.2M

-30.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$10.74 LBP 961.0K

-16.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$214

$14.08 LBP 1.3M

-10.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.3

$3.12 LBP 279.2K

-3.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.68

$1.72 LBP 153.7K

-8.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.10

$1.66 LBP 148.7K

28.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.46

$1.54 LBP 138.1K

46.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.04

$1.40 LBP 125.6K

42.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.06

$1.65 LBP 147.3K

24.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$20.04

$1.17 LBP 104.8K

0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.45

$0.72 LBP 64.6K

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.7

$2.92 LBP 261.2K

58.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$182

$10.13 LBP 907.1K

5.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.50

$1.28 LBP 114.7K

26.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.93

$2.56 LBP 229.5K

12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$507

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.5

$5.14 LBP 460.5K

6.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.9

$2.23 LBP 199.2K

65.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$102

$22.28 LBP 2.0M

-73.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.38

$1.04 LBP 93.2K

49.04%

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

$22.3K MX$379.2K

$54.4K LBP 4.9B

-58.95%

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

$25.9K MX$440.7K

$32.7K LBP 2.9B

-20.58%

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

$89.1 MX$1,514

$230 LBP 20.6M

-61.32%

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

$25.04 MX$425

$23.49 LBP 2.1M

6.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$535

$37.89 LBP 3.4M

-16.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,151

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$491

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.8

$9.98 LBP 893.3K

-49.40%

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

$225 MX$3,820

$681 LBP 61.0M

-66.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.7K

$10.8K LBP 962.2M

-60.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$806

$68.0 LBP 6.1M

-30.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$764

$49.11 LBP 4.4M

-8.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,392

$139 LBP 12.4M

-40.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,564

$121 LBP 10.8M

-23.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,884

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.09%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Baabda: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $63.0 in Baabda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $279 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Playa del Carmen and Baabda differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,293 vs $994 including rent). Baabda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,940 in Playa del Carmen and $1,490 in Baabda to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $681 in Baabda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Baabda – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $994 in Baabda versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Baabda but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Baabda 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 Baabda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.