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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $885 in Babahoyo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,323 in Babahoyo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,761 in Babahoyo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 46% more expensive than Babahoyo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Babahoyo 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.42 $3.42

242.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$25.13 $25.13

65.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.18 $7.18

48.19%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.51 $2.51

40.24%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.84 $0.84

79.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.70 $0.70

38.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.95 $1.95

51.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.40 $3.40

30.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.06 $1.06

30.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.69 $1.69

11.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.52 $1.52

7.89%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.26 $2.26

11.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.94 $5.94

40.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.59 $5.59

49.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$6.14 $6.14

74.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.11 $2.11

23.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.09 $1.09

33.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.09 $1.09

74.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.05 $1.05

98.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.40 $1.40

27.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.02 $1.02

114.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.68 $0.68

52.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.07 $1.07

0.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$5.88 $5.88

-30.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$8.04 $8.04

28.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.61 $1.61

6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.76 $2.76

-6.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.36 $0.36

41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$24.28 $24.28

8.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.28 $1.28

154.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.01 $1.01

146.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$9.96 $9.96

-67.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.69 $0.69

89.86%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$19.6K $19.6K

54.12%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$28.2K $28.2K

-16.80%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$37.19 $37.19

122.83%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$13.61 $13.61

63.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$30.92 $30.92

-5.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$30.47 $30.47

69.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$14.49 $14.49

26.43%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$7.14 $7.14

-28.99%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$250 $250

-19.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$5,690 $5,690

-8.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$56.8 $56.8

-34.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$44.06 $44.06

-9.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$95.6 $95.6

-17.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$67.0 $67.0

29.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$340 $340

185.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$320 $320

46.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$632 $632

159.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$489 $489

149.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,367 $1,367

188.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$903 $903

619.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.6

7.74%

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 Babahoyo: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $340 in Babahoyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Babahoyo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $185 per month, with Babahoyo 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 Babahoyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Babahoyo wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Babahoyo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,328 in Babahoyo 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $340 in Babahoyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $250 in Babahoyo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $885 in Babahoyo versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Babahoyo but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Babahoyo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Babahoyo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $885 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Babahoyo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Babahoyo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.