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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $435 in Bagamoyo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $715 in Bagamoyo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $994 in Bagamoyo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 196% more expensive than Bagamoyo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Bagamoyo 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$1.90 TZS 4,914

528.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$11.43 TZS 29.6K

274.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.65 TZS 19.8K

38.43%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.01 TZS 5,195

80.10%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.37 TZS 951

297.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.19 TZS 483

394.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.05 TZS 2,716

194.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$1.98 TZS 5,129

125.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.79 TZS 2,051

81.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.78 TZS 2,029

141.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$0.38 TZS 980

328.95%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.04 TZS 5,287

29.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$9.21 TZS 23.8K

-10.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.92 TZS 15.3K

40.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$4.18 TZS 10.8K

165.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.67 TZS 6,904

-0.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.00 TZS 2,601

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.05 TZS 2,719

89.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.57 TZS 1,467

264.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.30 TZS 771

496.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.32 TZS 841

581.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.83 TZS 2,157

30.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.37 TZS 960

181.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$1.98 TZS 5,128

100.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$6.37 TZS 16.5K

60.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$0.89 TZS 2,291

94.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.63 TZS 4,207

53.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.48 TZS 3,835

112.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.16 TZS 3,004

106.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$13.46 TZS 34.8K

-77.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.26 TZS 3,250

0.79%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$17.3K TZS 44.8M

78.41%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$17.3K TZS 44.7M

35.01%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$96.8 TZS 250.6K

-15.28%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$4.97 TZS 12.9K

351.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$23.43 TZS 60.6K

26.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.79 TZS 12.4K

3.76%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$251 TZS 650.4K

-21.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$19.4K TZS 50.1M

-72.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$26.15 TZS 67.7K

38.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$41.73 TZS 108.0K

-4.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$46.42 TZS 120.2K

72.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$42.90 TZS 111.1K

107.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$58.6 TZS 151.6K

1544.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$235 TZS 609.4K

578.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$117 TZS 302.6K

934.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

19.67

-41.94%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Bagamoyo: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $58.6 in Bagamoyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $11.00 in Bagamoyo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $151 per month, with Bagamoyo 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 Bagamoyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bagamoyo wins on cost – living expenses run 196% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bagamoyo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $653 in Bagamoyo 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $58.6 in Bagamoyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $251 in Bagamoyo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bagamoyo – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $435 in Bagamoyo versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bagamoyo but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bagamoyo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bagamoyo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $435 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bagamoyo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Bagamoyo 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 Bagamoyo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 196% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.