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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $734 in Babahoyo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,214 in Babahoyo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,694 in Babahoyo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 78% more expensive than in Babahoyo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Babahoyo 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.55 $3.55

236.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$29.50 $29.50

60.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$6.35 $6.35

85.04%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.65 $2.65

55.47%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.76 $0.76

84.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.66 $0.66

37.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.02 $2.02

58.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.93 $2.93

141.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.02 $1.02

64.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.56 $1.56

37.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.57 $1.57

12.74%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.03 $2.03

38.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$5.59 $5.59

64.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$5.26 $5.26

75.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$7.38 $7.38

71.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.65 $1.65

78.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.07 $1.07

47.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.19 $1.19

86.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.07 $1.07

120.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.23 $1.23

61.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.02 $1.02

94.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.69 $0.69

79.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$1.06 $1.06

14.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$5.12 $5.12

-10.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$8.50 $8.50

23.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.52 $1.52

11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$3.08 $3.08

-10.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.34 $0.34

76.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$20.23 $20.23

46.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.21 $1.21

333.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.11 $1.11

228.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$9.95 $9.95

-41.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$0.81 $0.81

90.12%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$21.0K $21.0K

8.40%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$28.9K $28.9K

-10.65%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$35.50 $35.50

155.41%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$12.05 $12.05

109.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$26.12 $26.12

21.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$30.07 $30.07

128.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$16.13 $16.13

82.08%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$6.93 $6.93

-29.87%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$220 $220

2.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$5,946 $5,946

-29.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$55.6 $55.6

-14.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$43.31 $43.31

0.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$99.8 $99.8

-19.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$75.7 $75.7

20.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$305 $305

255.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$189 $189

116.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$684 $684

188.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$405 $405

216.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$1,202 $1,202

236.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$766 $766

774.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.05

13.93%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Babahoyo: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $305 in Babahoyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $30.00 in Babahoyo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $182 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 78% 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 $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,101 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $305 in Babahoyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $220 in Babahoyo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $734 in Babahoyo versus $1,305 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 $734 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 78% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.