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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $892 in Baabda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,414 in Baabda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,937 in Baabda.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 41% more expensive than in Baabda, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Baabda 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$10.87 LBP 973.0K

10.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$58.9 LBP 5.3M

-29.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$8.02 LBP 717.6K

34.04%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$3.38 LBP 302.4K

3.55%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$1.63 LBP 145.4K

-11.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.93 LBP 83.5K

-5.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$3.54 LBP 316.4K

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$4.85 LBP 434.2K

-7.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.78 LBP 159.4K

-19.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$0.79 LBP 71.0K

132.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.83 LBP 163.7K

-14.21%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$3.05 LBP 273.0K

-17.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$11.34 LBP 1.0M

-26.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$9.68 LBP 866.7K

-12.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$11.36 LBP 1.0M

-5.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$1.79 LBP 160.2K

45.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.51 LBP 135.5K

-4.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.09 LBP 97.6K

79.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$1.05 LBP 94.3K

99.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$0.94 LBP 83.8K

96.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$1.00 LBP 89.2K

117.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$0.88 LBP 78.8K

17.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.55 LBP 49.6K

94.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$2.57 LBP 230.4K

59.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$9.99 LBP 893.7K

1.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$1.24 LBP 111.0K

35.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$2.14 LBP 191.7K

18.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$5.05 LBP 451.7K

-36.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$1.22 LBP 109.3K

97.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$19.85 LBP 1.8M

-83.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$0.96 LBP 85.8K

37.50%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$35.0K LBP 3.1B

-15.04%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$28.1K LBP 2.5B

-15.88%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$219 LBP 19.6M

-62.55%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$37.26 LBP 3.3M

-38.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$36.89 LBP 3.3M

-18.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$7.80 LBP 698.3K

-36.15%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$301 LBP 27.0M

-34.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$4,399 LBP 393.7M

21.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$72.2 LBP 6.5M

-50.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$45.35 LBP 4.1M

-11.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$123 LBP 11.0M

-35.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$96.2 LBP 8.6M

-7.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Baabda: July 14, 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 41% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $892 including rent). Baabda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,338 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 $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $301 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 $892 in Baabda versus $1,256 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 41% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.