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: $1,239 in Playa del Carmen versus $964 in Bafoussam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,168 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,669 in Bafoussam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,096 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,374 in Bafoussam.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 29% more expensive than in Bafoussam, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 8% lower, Bafoussam 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.17 MX$203

$4.28 FCFA 2,493

160.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.61 MX$810

$120 FCFA 70.1K

-62.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 MX$216

$6.81 FCFA 3,968

74.89%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$69.3

$2.17 FCFA 1,263

75.58%

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

$1.38 MX$24.97

$1.65 FCFA 958

-16.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 MX$14.46

$0.79 FCFA 462

1.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$56.6

$1.24 FCFA 723

151.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 MX$90.2

$2.55 FCFA 1,484

94.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$27.42

$2.95 FCFA 1,715

-48.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 MX$40.77

$0.43 FCFA 251

423.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 MX$27.35

$2.18 FCFA 1,271

-30.73%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$44.73

$1.95 FCFA 1,135

26.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.50 MX$136

$22.41 FCFA 13.0K

-66.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.07 MX$146

$7.90 FCFA 4,603

2.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 MX$238

$6.28 FCFA 3,656

108.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 MX$51.5

$4.67 FCFA 2,718

-39.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MX$26.78

$2.10 FCFA 1,225

-30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 MX$48.90

$2.03 FCFA 1,180

32.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$37.75

$1.39 FCFA 810

49.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$35.52

$3.38 FCFA 1,966

-42.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.51

$2.15 FCFA 1,252

-6.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$21.97

$0.77 FCFA 449

57.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 MX$22.34

$0.63 FCFA 370

95.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 MX$81.0

$2.65 FCFA 1,543

68.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.98 MX$181

$8.81 FCFA 5,130

13.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 MX$29.62

$1.51 FCFA 878

7.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 MX$50.8

$1.74 FCFA 1,015

60.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 MX$10.50

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.28 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 MX$88.1

$0.60 FCFA 348

708.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$63.5

$0.91 FCFA 531

284.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 MX$103

$8.40 FCFA 4,893

-32.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.43

$1.44 FCFA 839

1.39%

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

$21.4K MX$388.4K

$30.0K FCFA 17.5M

-28.62%

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

$24.0K MX$435.6K

$15.7K FCFA 9.1M

53.16%

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

$86.3 MX$1,568

$165 FCFA 95.9K

-47.59%

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

$23.96 MX$435

$26.17 FCFA 15.2K

-8.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.93 MX$525

$181 FCFA 105.7K

-84.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 MX$1,174

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.07 MX$528

Cinema Ticket

$5.13 MX$93.1

$8.78 FCFA 5,112

-41.57%

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

$211 MX$3,838

$521 FCFA 303.7K

-59.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$73.4K

$3,410 FCFA 2.0M

18.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 MX$803

$81.6 FCFA 47.5K

-45.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.35 MX$787

$68.4 FCFA 39.8K

-36.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 MX$1,396

$140 FCFA 81.5K

-45.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,605

$151 FCFA 87.9K

-41.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 MX$6,874

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 MX$32.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 MX$20.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 MX$72.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,392 MX$116.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$768 MX$14.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

19.04

-39.86%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 27, 2026

Last update for Bafoussam: September 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $45.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $120 in Bafoussam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $281 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 29% 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 $1,859 in Playa del Carmen and $1,446 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 $211 in Playa del Carmen versus $521 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 $120 versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $964 in Bafoussam versus $1,239 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 $964 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 29% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.