Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bac Kan Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bac Kan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $729 in Bac Kan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,133 in Bac Kan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,538 in Bac Kan.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Bac Kan 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$1.18 ₫31.1K

894.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$26.99 ₫709.3K

54.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.60 ₫120.9K

131.30%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$0.80 ₫21.1K

340.00%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.25 ₫6,517

504.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.27 ₫7,114

259.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.00 ₫26.2K

195.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$1.00 ₫26.2K

345.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.42 ₫37.3K

-2.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.92 ₫24.2K

105.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.92 ₫24.1K

78.26%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.54 ₫40.6K

62.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$9.16 ₫240.6K

-8.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.78 ₫99.3K

120.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$9.50 ₫249.6K

12.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$3.36 ₫88.3K

-22.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.05 ₫27.7K

39.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.62 ₫42.7K

17.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.11 ₫29.3K

87.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.08 ₫28.4K

64.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.01 ₫26.4K

116.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.57 ₫14.9K

82.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.53 ₫13.9K

103.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$1.32 ₫34.6K

209.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$13.07 ₫343.4K

-21.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$0.90 ₫23.7K

90.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.74 ₫45.8K

48.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.34 ₫9,017

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$6.70 ₫175.9K

294.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.76 ₫19.8K

328.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.56 ₫14.7K

344.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$1.60 ₫42.2K

103.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.83 ₫21.9K

57.83%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$38.1K ₫1.0B

-20.57%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$32.0K ₫840.0M

-26.71%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$78.7 ₫2.1M

5.31%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$5.28 ₫138.9K

320.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$8.84 ₫232.3K

231.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$20.98 ₫551.3K

146.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$7.70 ₫202.4K

137.92%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$3.76 ₫98.9K

34.84%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$264 ₫6.9M

-23.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$11.4K ₫300.7M

-54.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$44.32 ₫1.2M

-16.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$22.83 ₫599.9K

74.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$87.4 ₫2.3M

-10.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$71.7 ₫1.9M

21.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$353 ₫9.3M

175.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$245 ₫6.4M

90.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$680 ₫17.9M

141.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$463 ₫12.2M

163.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$4,165 ₫109.4M

-5.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,486 ₫39.0M

337.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.1

25.49%

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 Bac Kan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $353 in Bac Kan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Bac Kan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $191 per month, with Bac Kan 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 Bac Kan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bac Kan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,093 in Bac Kan 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 $353 in Bac Kan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bac Kan – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $729 in Bac Kan – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $729 in Bac Kan versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bac Kan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bac Kan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bac Kan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Bac Kan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bac Kan 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.