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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $532 in Badulla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $854 in Badulla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,177 in Badulla.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 139% more expensive than 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

$11.87 MX$204

$3.99 LKR 1,330

197.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$25.26 LKR 8,427

69.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.42 LKR 2,810

26.48%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.73 LKR 909

26.37%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.73 LKR 245

105.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.38 LKR 127

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.33 LKR 777

30.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.45 LKR 1,149

33.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.68 LKR 562

-17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.51 LKR 172

262.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.73 LKR 243

120.55%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.13 LKR 710

21.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$14.30 LKR 4,769

-42.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.01 LKR 1,337

108.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$7.88 LKR 2,627

35.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$7.31 LKR 2,437

-64.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.12 LKR 373

33.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$5.88 LKR 1,960

-67.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.24 LKR 415

68.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.11 LKR 370

67.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.42 LKR 472

59.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.16 LKR 386

-8.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.56 LKR 187

94.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$10.18 LKR 3,397

-59.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$12.85 LKR 4,288

-19.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.99 LKR 664

-13.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.83 LKR 942

-7.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.39 LKR 130

702.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.35 LKR 118

617.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$0.60 LKR 202

425.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.26 LKR 421

0.79%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$26.3K LKR 8.8M

15.62%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$35.2K LKR 11.7M

-33.01%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$60.2 LKR 20.1K

37.81%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$4.23 LKR 1,411

436.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$14.91 LKR 4,974

97.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.40 LKR 1,136

45.00%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$36.14 LKR 12.1K

445.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$433 LKR 144.3K

1120.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$27.33 LKR 9,116

35.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$19.72 LKR 6,579

102.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$69.1 LKR 23.1K

15.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$38.71 LKR 12.9K

131.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$4,516 LKR 1.5M

-13.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$734 LKR 244.9K

779.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$218 LKR 72.8K

205.65%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Badulla: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Playa del Carmen pays 206% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Badulla. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $252, 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 139% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 206% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $36.14 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 $532 in Badulla versus $1,271 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 139% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.