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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $987 in Bafoussam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,675 in Bafoussam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,363 in Bafoussam.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 35% more expensive than in Bafoussam, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Bafoussam 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$4.50 FCFA 2,525

189.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$122 FCFA 68.2K

-61.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$7.13 FCFA 3,999

76.58%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$2.23 FCFA 1,249

79.37%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$1.71 FCFA 959

-16.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.86 FCFA 483

-5.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$1.25 FCFA 703

144.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$2.59 FCFA 1,453

163.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$2.79 FCFA 1,562

-38.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$0.42 FCFA 233

428.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$2.23 FCFA 1,250

-22.87%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$1.98 FCFA 1,112

36.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$23.15 FCFA 13.0K

-59.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$7.74 FCFA 4,341

14.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$6.40 FCFA 3,590

99.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$4.92 FCFA 2,759

-36.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$2.07 FCFA 1,161

-25.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$2.06 FCFA 1,158

4.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$1.37 FCFA 767

71.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$3.32 FCFA 1,862

-39.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$2.17 FCFA 1,216

-8.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$0.79 FCFA 445

56.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.64 FCFA 357

85.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$3.56 FCFA 1,998

30.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$9.09 FCFA 5,099

15.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$1.46 FCFA 821

8.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$1.87 FCFA 1,046

56.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$0.63 FCFA 355

744.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$0.86 FCFA 481

332.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$8.44 FCFA 4,734

-31.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.49 FCFA 838

4.03%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$31.3K FCFA 17.6M

-28.57%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$15.9K FCFA 8.9M

61.27%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$167 FCFA 93.7K

-46.57%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$26.00 FCFA 14.6K

-10.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$181 FCFA 101.4K

-82.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$8.67 FCFA 4,862

-41.64%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$536 FCFA 300.8K

-58.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$3,523 FCFA 2.0M

21.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$82.5 FCFA 46.2K

-43.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$70.0 FCFA 39.2K

-36.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$144 FCFA 80.9K

-33.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$153 FCFA 86.1K

-39.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

19.04

-39.08%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Bafoussam: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $122 in Bafoussam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $283 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Bafoussam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bafoussam wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bafoussam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,995 in Playa del Carmen and $1,480 in Bafoussam 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 $222 in Playa del Carmen versus $536 in Bafoussam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bafoussam – a meal for two runs $122 versus $46.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $987 in Bafoussam versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bafoussam but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bafoussam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bafoussam delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $987 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bafoussam hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Bafoussam 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 Bafoussam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.