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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $898 in Baabda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,402 in Baabda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,906 in Baabda.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 44% more expensive than Baabda, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Baabda 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$10.67 LBP 954.8K

9.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$59.2 LBP 5.3M

-29.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$8.24 LBP 737.3K

29.13%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$3.36 LBP 300.6K

4.76%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$1.64 LBP 146.8K

-7.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.92 LBP 82.1K

5.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$3.52 LBP 315.3K

-16.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$5.01 LBP 448.6K

-11.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.77 LBP 158.6K

-22.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.79 LBP 70.9K

139.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.84 LBP 164.5K

-10.87%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$3.09 LBP 276.6K

-18.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$11.40 LBP 1.0M

-26.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$9.36 LBP 837.4K

-10.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$11.64 LBP 1.0M

-7.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.75 LBP 156.3K

48.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.52 LBP 136.4K

-3.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.15 LBP 103.0K

65.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.04 LBP 93.3K

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.01 LBP 90.2K

76.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.01 LBP 90.3K

116.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.86 LBP 77.3K

20.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.55 LBP 49.5K

96.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$2.56 LBP 229.4K

59.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$10.08 LBP 902.6K

2.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.28 LBP 114.8K

33.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.16 LBP 193.1K

19.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$4.96 LBP 444.3K

-34.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$1.28 LBP 114.9K

94.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$20.21 LBP 1.8M

-83.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$0.88 LBP 79.0K

48.86%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$34.6K LBP 3.1B

-12.60%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$28.0K LBP 2.5B

-16.41%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$213 LBP 19.1M

-61.17%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$38.10 LBP 3.4M

-41.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$37.41 LBP 3.3M

-21.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$8.16 LBP 730.3K

-37.87%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$300 LBP 26.9M

-33.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$4,440 LBP 397.3M

17.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$70.7 LBP 6.3M

-47.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$45.06 LBP 4.0M

-11.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$122 LBP 10.9M

-35.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$96.0 LBP 8.6M

-9.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.16

2.33%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Baabda: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $59.0 in Baabda. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $235, with Baabda cheaper for home cooking.

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 44% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $898 including rent). Baabda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,346 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 $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $300 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 $59.0 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $898 in Baabda versus $1,297 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 44% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.