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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $391 in Bagamoyo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $655 in Bagamoyo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $920 in Bagamoyo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 234% more expensive than in Bagamoyo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bagamoyo 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$1.93 TZS 5,085

519.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$11.28 TZS 29.7K

320.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$8.76 TZS 23.0K

34.13%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$1.96 TZS 5,143

110.20%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.32 TZS 853

337.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.20 TZS 520

355.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$0.97 TZS 2,547

230.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$1.93 TZS 5,078

266.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$0.79 TZS 2,081

112.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.60 TZS 1,578

258.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$0.36 TZS 953

391.67%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.91 TZS 5,016

47.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$9.55 TZS 25.1K

-3.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$4.57 TZS 12.0K

101.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$3.94 TZS 10.4K

220.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.60 TZS 6,823

13.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$0.93 TZS 2,456

69.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$0.97 TZS 2,539

128.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$0.60 TZS 1,566

293.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.31 TZS 827

541.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.31 TZS 821

538.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.88 TZS 2,309

40.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.35 TZS 925

245.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$2.33 TZS 6,127

97.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$6.68 TZS 17.6K

57.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$0.89 TZS 2,342

89.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$1.51 TZS 3,962

83.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.62 TZS 4,251

223.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.48 TZS 3,884

146.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$13.37 TZS 35.1K

-56.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.32 TZS 3,472

16.67%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$16.7K TZS 43.9M

36.64%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$26.4K TZS 69.5M

-2.33%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$55.6 TZS 146.2K

63.05%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$4.62 TZS 12.1K

445.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$22.93 TZS 60.3K

38.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$5.16 TZS 13.6K

-5.81%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$576 TZS 1.5M

-60.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$13.4K TZS 35.3M

-68.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$14.15 TZS 37.2K

234.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$26.01 TZS 68.4K

67.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$44.03 TZS 115.8K

82.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$66.5 TZS 174.7K

37.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$57.2 TZS 150.4K

1797.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$228 TZS 600.1K

763.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$113 TZS 295.9K

1038.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

18.25

-37.26%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bagamoyo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $57.2 in Bagamoyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $11.00 in Bagamoyo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $142 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 234% 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 $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $586 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $57.2 in Bagamoyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $576 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $391 in Bagamoyo versus $1,305 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 $391 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 234% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.