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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $433 in Bagamoyo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $720 in Bagamoyo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,006 in Bagamoyo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 193% more expensive than Bagamoyo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bagamoyo 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$1.89 TZS 4,937

528.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$11.54 TZS 30.1K

271.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.80 TZS 20.3K

36.54%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.04 TZS 5,317

69.12%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.37 TZS 955

305.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.19 TZS 484

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.05 TZS 2,728

188.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.87 TZS 4,889

146.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.78 TZS 2,042

76.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.76 TZS 1,990

143.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.37 TZS 978

335.14%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.99 TZS 5,197

30.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$9.31 TZS 24.3K

-11.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.69 TZS 14.8K

47.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$4.36 TZS 11.4K

144.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.63 TZS 6,865

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.92 TZS 2,406

61.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.02 TZS 2,664

88.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.56 TZS 1,464

273.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.32 TZS 836

481.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.30 TZS 773

653.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.84 TZS 2,186

26.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.38 TZS 985

186.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.01 TZS 5,255

106.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$7.06 TZS 18.4K

47.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.90 TZS 2,361

91.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.68 TZS 4,385

55.36%

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

$1.48 TZS 3,851

111.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.17 TZS 3,064

114.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$13.57 TZS 35.4K

-76.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.22 TZS 3,176

4.10%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$16.9K TZS 44.1M

79.60%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$16.9K TZS 44.0M

39.76%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$97.9 TZS 255.5K

-15.25%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$4.77 TZS 12.4K

376.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$23.03 TZS 60.1K

27.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.91 TZS 12.8K

0.41%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$252 TZS 658.6K

-21.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$19.0K TZS 49.6M

-72.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$25.72 TZS 67.1K

43.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$42.60 TZS 111.1K

-6.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$46.53 TZS 121.4K

71.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$42.93 TZS 112.0K

108.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$58.8 TZS 153.3K

1527.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$231 TZS 602.0K

613.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$118 TZS 307.9K

937.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bagamoyo: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $58.8 in Bagamoyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $12.00 in Bagamoyo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 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 193% 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 $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $650 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $58.8 in Bagamoyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $252 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 $12.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $433 in Bagamoyo versus $1,271 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 $433 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 193% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.