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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $881 in Babahoyo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,316 in Babahoyo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,750 in Babahoyo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 43% more expensive than in Babahoyo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Babahoyo 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$3.46 $3.46

246.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$25.10 $25.10

66.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.89 $6.89

56.02%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.43 $2.43

44.03%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.92 $0.92

57.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.70 $0.70

25.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.96 $1.96

50.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.53 $3.53

27.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.11 $1.11

28.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.71 $1.71

7.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.51 $1.51

3.97%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.18 $2.18

15.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$6.12 $6.12

35.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.56 $5.56

51.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$6.19 $6.19

72.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.99 $1.99

31.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.06 $1.06

35.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.05 $1.05

86.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.09 $1.09

91.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.37 $1.37

35.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.03 $1.03

110.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.68 $0.68

51.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.06 $1.06

0.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$5.82 $5.82

-29.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$8.89 $8.89

14.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.52 $1.52

10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.88 $2.88

-12.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.33 $0.33

54.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$24.42 $24.42

6.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.22 $1.22

164.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.01 $1.01

138.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$9.81 $9.81

-67.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.63 $0.63

109.52%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$19.9K $19.9K

49.34%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$28.7K $28.7K

-17.46%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$37.22 $37.22

120.34%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$13.75 $13.75

66.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$30.27 $30.27

-0.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$29.65 $29.65

75.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$14.79 $14.79

25.29%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$7.15 $7.15

-30.35%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$259 $259

-23.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$5,762 $5,762

-7.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$55.4 $55.4

-35.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$42.48 $42.48

-5.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$98.9 $98.9

-20.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$67.0 $67.0

32.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$337 $337

180.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$320 $320

48.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$629 $629

161.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$496 $496

143.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,138 $1,138

256.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$859 $859

652.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Babahoyo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $337 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 $186 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 43% 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 $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,321 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $337 in Babahoyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $259 in Babahoyo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $881 in Babahoyo versus $1,256 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 $881 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 43% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.