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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $729 in Bago.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,112 in Bago.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,496 in Bago.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 79% more expensive than in Bago, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bago 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.83 ₱240

212.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$16.69 ₱1,047

183.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$2.89 ₱181

306.57%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.1

$2.17 ₱136

89.86%

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

$1.40 MX$23.78

$0.61 ₱38.49

129.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$0.34 ₱21.35

167.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

$1.11 ₱69.8

189.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$1.91 ₱120

270.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.49

$1.69 ₱106

-0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$1.12 ₱70.0

91.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$0.97 ₱61.1

82.47%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.83

$1.86 ₱117

51.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$5.21 ₱327

76.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$4.20 ₱264

119.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$7.17 ₱450

76.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.37 ₱149

24.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.83

$1.57 ₱98.2

0.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$2.40 ₱151

-7.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.15

$1.18 ₱74.3

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.86

$2.13 ₱133

-6.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.63

$2.03 ₱127

-2.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$0.84 ₱52.5

47.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$0.56 ₱35.11

116.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$2.91 ₱182

58.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

$8.18 ₱513

28.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

$0.98 ₱61.6

72.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

$1.96 ₱123

41.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.24

$0.25 ₱15.53

140.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

$11.25 ₱706

164.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$0.78 ₱49.15

571.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

$0.25 ₱15.79

1360.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$1.98 ₱124

191.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$1.12 ₱70.3

37.50%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$21.7K ₱1.4M

5.11%

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

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$19.3K ₱1.2M

33.77%

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

$90.7 MX$1,540

$123 ₱7,696

-26.13%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$14.93 ₱936

68.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$25.13 ₱1,576

26.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

$32.23 ₱2,021

113.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

$4.70 ₱295

524.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$5.11 ₱320

-4.89%

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

$226 MX$3,834

$131 ₱8,242

71.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$8,056 ₱505.1K

-47.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$32.69 ₱2,050

44.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

$19.43 ₱1,218

123.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$71.6 ₱4,492

11.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$56.0 ₱3,513

63.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$269 ₱16.9K

303.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,943

$174 ₱10.9K

134.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$503 ₱31.5K

292.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

$350 ₱22.0K

265.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

$2,640 ₱165.5K

53.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

$1,032 ₱64.7K

549.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.75

69.63%

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 Bago: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $269 in Bago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $17.00 in Bago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $180 per month, with Bago 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 Bago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bago is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,093 in Bago 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 $269 in Bago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $131 in Bago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $729 in Bago versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bago but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bago is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Bago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.