Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bacoor

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacoor: $801 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Bacoor, Philippines
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Bacoor
🇵🇭 Philippines
$801
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Bacoor

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Bacoor actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $801 in Bacoor, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Bacoor $801

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,215 in Bacoor, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Bacoor $1,215

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,629 in Bacoor, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Bacoor $1,629

Playa del Carmen costs about 50% more than Bacoor, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Bacoor are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Bacoor 41% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Bacoor
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$199
$4.70 ₱299
127.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$815
$17.95 ₱1,142
144.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$219
$2.60 ₱166
353.46%
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$70.5
$2.42 ₱154
56.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.14
$0.63 ₱39.99
106.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.51
$0.29 ₱18.60
186.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$58.6
$1.08 ₱68.8
191.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$91.8
$2.42 ₱154
103.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Bacoor
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$1.71 ₱109
-17.54%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$40.86
$0.86 ₱54.4
155.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.40
$0.85 ₱54.0
72.94%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.47
$1.87 ₱119
33.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$136
$4.61 ₱293
58.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$148
$3.27 ₱208
143.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$239
$7.25 ₱461
77.38%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.9
$2.46 ₱156
17.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.74
$2.05 ₱130
-32.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.36
$2.71 ₱172
-8.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.78
$0.92 ₱58.3
120.65%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.69
$0.99 ₱62.8
104.04%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.42
$1.38 ₱87.5
37.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.30
$0.61 ₱39.06
86.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.06
$0.33 ₱20.94
275.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$79.5
$2.82 ₱179
51.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$183
$7.06 ₱449
38.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.51
$0.46 ₱29.18
245.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.1
$1.27 ₱80.9
116.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Bacoor
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.58
$0.23 ₱14.44
121.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$510
$12.27 ₱780
123.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$88.6
$1.01 ₱64.4
371.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$60.5
$0.22 ₱14.01
1377.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$100
$1.88 ₱119
186.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.44
$1.25 ₱79.7
22.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$394.8K
$21.5K ₱1.4M
-1.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$432.9K
$19.2K ₱1.2M
21.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Bacoor
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,554
$94.9 ₱6,031
-11.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$431
$14.93 ₱949
55.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$514
$24.21 ₱1,539
14.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Bacoor
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,050
$29.11 ₱1,851
93.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$525
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.1
$4.76 ₱303
5.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Bacoor
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,854
$261 ₱16.6K
-20.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$97.4K
$13.4K ₱851.8K
-60.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Bacoor
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$809
$39.26 ₱2,496
10.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$792
$17.07 ₱1,085
149.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,354
$69.8 ₱4,437
4.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,645
$79.8 ₱5,072
10.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Bacoor
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.5K
$441 ₱28.0K
125.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,116
$273 ₱17.3K
40.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.2K
$797 ₱50.7K
110.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.1K
$518 ₱32.9K
108.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$72.7K
$3,459 ₱219.9K
13.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$114.2K
$2,279 ₱144.9K
169.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Bacoor
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
7
63.57%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bacoor: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Bacoor
$273 28.6% $110
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Bacoor
$160 38% $98
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Bacoor
$88 55.8% $112
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Bacoor
$134 0.2% $0.3
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Bacoor
$93 16.7% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Bacoor
$39 41.9% $28
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Bacoor
$15 69.7% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $441 in Bacoor. 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 $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $18 in Bacoor. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $160 – making Bacoor the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇵🇭 Bacoor
🕒 Local time
16:49 4:49 PM
05:49 5:49 AM
13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
600,609
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 63.58 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.57 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Bacoor 15,050 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Bacoor

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Bacoor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bacoor cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,202 in Bacoor. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacoor, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $441 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Bacoor?
Groceries cost about 61% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Playa del Carmen or in Bacoor?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen and $18 in Bacoor. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Bacoor?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bacoor, where all-in costs run around $801, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Bacoor it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Bacoor?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $801 in Bacoor to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Bacoor is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 33% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?