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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $771 in Bago.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,219 in Bago.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,667 in Bago.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 65% more expensive than Bago, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bago 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.59 ₱218

230.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$17.78 ₱1,079

141.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$3.24 ₱197

228.70%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.37 ₱144

45.57%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.78 ₱47.10

92.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.39 ₱23.81

143.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.30 ₱79.2

133.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.17 ₱132

112.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.86 ₱113

-25.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.23 ₱74.5

50.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.98 ₱59.7

64.29%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.08 ₱126

24.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$8.22 ₱499

0.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.34 ₱264

92.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$7.87 ₱478

35.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.94 ₱178

-10.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.57 ₱95.4

-5.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.64 ₱160

-27.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.59 ₱96.7

31.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$2.32 ₱141

-19.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.51 ₱152

-9.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.11 ₱67.5

-4.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.73 ₱44.16

49.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.89 ₱175

43.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$9.13 ₱554

13.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.16 ₱70.6

48.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.04 ₱124

27.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.28 ₱17.04

92.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.77 ₱46.91

306.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.24 ₱14.65

945.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.19 ₱133

43.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.14 ₱69.3

11.40%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$26.1K ₱1.6M

16.20%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$20.3K ₱1.2M

16.04%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$112 ₱6,825

-26.16%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$32.29 ₱1,960

-29.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$27.92 ₱1,695

5.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$34.25 ₱2,080

48.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$4.52 ₱274

305.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.91 ₱359

-16.58%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$151 ₱9,145

31.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,380 ₱266.0K

20.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$45.15 ₱2,741

-18.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$26.95 ₱1,636

48.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$73.9 ₱4,485

8.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$52.9 ₱3,212

69.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$271 ₱16.4K

253.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$176 ₱10.7K

171.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$598 ₱36.3K

175.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$391 ₱23.7K

213.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,383 ₱144.7K

64.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$925 ₱56.2K

597.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.67

71.21%

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 Bago: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $271 in Bago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $18.00 in Bago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $209 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, Getting Around. The 65% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,157 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $271 in Bago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $151 in Bago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bago – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $771 in Bago versus $1,271 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 65% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.