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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $531 in Badulla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $866 in Badulla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,201 in Badulla.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 142% more expensive than Badulla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Badulla 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$4.08 LKR 1,300

192.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$25.24 LKR 8,050

69.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$8.16 LKR 2,602

29.78%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.62 LKR 836

38.17%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.74 LKR 236

98.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.37 LKR 119

154.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.36 LKR 752

30.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.33 LKR 1,062

33.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.66 LKR 530

-13.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.53 LKR 168

254.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$0.69 LKR 220

136.23%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.15 LKR 685

22.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$14.31 LKR 4,563

-42.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.99 LKR 1,271

107.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$7.86 LKR 2,505

41.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$7.67 LKR 2,447

-65.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.06 LKR 339

41.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$5.73 LKR 1,829

-65.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.21 LKR 387

71.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.11 LKR 355

61.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.43 LKR 455

52.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.20 LKR 383

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.61 LKR 193

70.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$9.86 LKR 3,145

-59.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$12.64 LKR 4,031

-19.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.08 LKR 664

-16.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.84 LKR 905

-11.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.39 LKR 123

705.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.36 LKR 114

566.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$0.61 LKR 193

406.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.20 LKR 382

5.83%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$27.2K LKR 8.7M

13.59%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$35.0K LKR 11.2M

-33.48%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$60.1 LKR 19.2K

36.43%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$4.20 LKR 1,340

434.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$15.23 LKR 4,857

94.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$3.25 LKR 1,037

52.92%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$36.67 LKR 11.7K

439.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$441 LKR 140.6K

1095.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$28.02 LKR 8,937

29.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$19.70 LKR 6,283

103.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$69.3 LKR 22.1K

15.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$38.65 LKR 12.3K

129.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-4.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Badulla: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Badulla. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $253, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Badulla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Badulla is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 142% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $797 in Badulla 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.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $36.67 in Badulla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Badulla – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $531 in Badulla versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Badulla but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Badulla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Badulla 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 Badulla 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 Badulla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 142% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.