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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $538 in Badulla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $877 in Badulla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,217 in Badulla.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 135% more expensive than in Badulla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Badulla 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.49 LKR 1,484

158.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$25.54 LKR 8,445

84.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.77 LKR 2,570

52.90%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$2.48 LKR 820

60.48%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.68 LKR 226

110.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.25 LKR 82.4

228.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$2.27 LKR 749

40.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.95 LKR 976

130.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.58 LKR 524

6.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$0.54 LKR 178

307.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$0.67 LKR 222

155.22%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.63 LKR 539

68.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$13.02 LKR 4,306

-26.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.73 LKR 1,233

141.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.36 LKR 2,434

74.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$6.69 LKR 2,213

-56.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$0.83 LKR 274

80.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$4.22 LKR 1,396

-49.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.23 LKR 408

83.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$0.99 LKR 326

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$0.80 LKR 265

148.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.87 LKR 289

41.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.45 LKR 150

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$10.42 LKR 3,445

-56.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$13.52 LKR 4,469

-23.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.89 LKR 625

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$2.87 LKR 948

0.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.39 LKR 128

1282.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.35 LKR 115

965.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$0.88 LKR 292

555.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.33 LKR 439

15.79%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$36.6K LKR 12.1M

-38.37%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$40.2K LKR 13.3M

-35.18%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$55.4 LKR 18.3K

64.89%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$4.12 LKR 1,361

511.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$20.83 LKR 6,888

49.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$4.32 LKR 1,427

12.50%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$38.72 LKR 12.8K

477.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$1,238 LKR 409.3K

241.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$19.84 LKR 6,561

137.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$16.62 LKR 5,494

166.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$78.8 LKR 26.1K

1.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$42.27 LKR 14.0K

119.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$75.5 LKR 25.0K

1307.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$46.29 LKR 15.3K

742.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$90.4 LKR 29.9K

1306.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$4,574 LKR 1.5M

-12.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$762 LKR 251.9K

753.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$228 LKR 75.4K

232.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

12.69

-9.77%

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 Badulla: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $75.5 in Badulla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 232% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $26.00 in Badulla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $227 per month, with Badulla 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 Badulla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Badulla is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 135% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 232% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $75.5 in Badulla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.72 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 $26.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $538 in Badulla versus $1,266 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 135% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.