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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $636 in Bacong, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $986 in Bacong, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,336 in Bacong, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 99% more than Bacong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Bacong are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Bacong 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$2.83 ₱178

309.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$19.42 ₱1,220

142.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$3.24 ₱204

266.67%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$1.99 ₱125

100.00%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.63 ₱39.55

126.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.33 ₱20.77

148.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$0.86 ₱53.8

270.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$1.78 ₱112

281.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.66 ₱104

1.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.21 ₱76.3

81.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$0.91 ₱56.9

87.91%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$2.06 ₱129

33.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$6.08 ₱382

57.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.15 ₱261

117.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$6.10 ₱383

110.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$3.32 ₱209

-12.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.07 ₱67.0

40.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$3.02 ₱190

-28.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.39 ₱87.1

62.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$2.29 ₱144

-13.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$2.72 ₱171

-26.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$1.40 ₱87.7

-12.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.78 ₱48.89

53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.96 ₱186

53.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$6.20 ₱389

67.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.08 ₱67.9

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$1.26 ₱79.1

128.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.23 ₱14.66

160.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$11.47 ₱721

151.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.71 ₱44.59

659.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.34 ₱21.23

997.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$2.35 ₱148

145.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$0.90 ₱56.8

71.11%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$21.5K ₱1.3M

4.95%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

34.32%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$50.6 ₱3,178

80.66%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$9.51 ₱597

164.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$26.70 ₱1,678

17.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$31.95 ₱2,007

110.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$4.71 ₱296

518.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$4.84 ₱304

0.41%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$31.43 ₱1,975

611.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$6,846 ₱430.1K

-38.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$31.79 ₱1,997

48.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$19.51 ₱1,226

127.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$55.7 ₱3,501

43.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$23.46 ₱1,474

294.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$150 ₱9,425

608.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$173 ₱10.8K

126.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$423 ₱26.5K

408.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$302 ₱19.0K

321.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$2,495 ₱156.8K

60.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,180 ₱74.1K

450.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

7.33

56.21%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Bacong: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $150 in Bacong. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $19.00 in Bacong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $187 – making Bacong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Bacong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 99%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $955 in Bacong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacong, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $19.00 in Bacong. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $636 in Bacong. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bacong, where all-in costs run around $636, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Bacong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bacong – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Bacong. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.