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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $530 in Badulla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $845 in Badulla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,159 in Badulla.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 138% more expensive than in Badulla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Badulla 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$4.12 LKR 1,384

184.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$24.75 LKR 8,304

69.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$8.61 LKR 2,888

22.07%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.74 LKR 919

31.02%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.69 LKR 232

118.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.41 LKR 137

124.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.38 LKR 799

24.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.31 LKR 1,112

33.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.62 LKR 542

-13.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.53 LKR 177

254.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$0.68 LKR 228

129.41%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.19 LKR 734

19.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$13.97 LKR 4,687

-40.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.98 LKR 1,337

109.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$8.24 LKR 2,764

31.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$7.30 LKR 2,449

-62.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.06 LKR 355

42.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$5.91 LKR 1,984

-68.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.24 LKR 417

76.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.16 LKR 390

60.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.37 LKR 459

62.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.16 LKR 388

-7.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.56 LKR 190

94.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$9.91 LKR 3,324

-57.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$12.40 LKR 4,159

-15.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.11 LKR 707

-21.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.93 LKR 983

-10.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.42 LKR 140

633.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.36 LKR 119

566.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$0.62 LKR 207

404.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.21 LKR 407

8.26%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$26.4K LKR 8.8M

13.10%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$34.9K LKR 11.7M

-33.14%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$60.6 LKR 20.3K

34.10%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$4.35 LKR 1,460

418.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$15.30 LKR 5,132

96.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$3.41 LKR 1,145

44.28%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$37.15 LKR 12.5K

440.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$443 LKR 148.6K

1068.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$27.18 LKR 9,121

32.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$19.29 LKR 6,471

108.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$68.5 LKR 23.0K

16.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$38.49 LKR 12.9K

124.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$4,451 LKR 1.5M

-11.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$755 LKR 253.2K

775.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$222 LKR 74.6K

204.51%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Badulla: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Playa del Carmen pays 205% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Badulla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $251 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 138% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 205% 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.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $37.15 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $530 in Badulla versus $1,260 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 138% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.