Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Baie du Tombeau Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Baie du Tombeau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $989 in Baie du Tombeau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,635 in Baie du Tombeau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,281 in Baie du Tombeau.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 27% more expensive than in Baie du Tombeau, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Baie du Tombeau 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$6.43 MUR 302

86.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$44.38 MUR 2,085

-5.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.43 MUR 302

67.19%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.55 MUR 120

37.25%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.97 MUR 45.74

49.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.60 MUR 28.37

46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.16 MUR 101

36.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.77 MUR 130

62.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.44 MUR 67.5

-0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.69 MUR 32.49

166.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.27 MUR 59.7

23.62%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.34 MUR 110

7.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$9.67 MUR 454

-14.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.36 MUR 299

32.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$10.24 MUR 481

4.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.05 MUR 96.4

27.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.96 MUR 92.2

-26.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.51 MUR 70.9

29.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.66 MUR 125

-21.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.02 MUR 48.09

81.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.01 MUR 47.43

114.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.85 MUR 40.04

21.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.53 MUR 24.81

101.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$6.09 MUR 286

-32.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$8.23 MUR 386

23.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.73 MUR 81.1

-2.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.17 MUR 102

16.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.99 MUR 46.73

-48.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$29.08 MUR 1,366

-10.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$4.52 MUR 212

-28.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$2.65 MUR 124

-9.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$15.15 MUR 712

-78.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.46 MUR 68.7

-9.59%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$35.9K MUR 1.7M

-17.20%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

-18.80%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$49.99 MUR 2,348

64.05%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$18.55 MUR 871

23.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$32.05 MUR 1,505

-6.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$37.97 MUR 1,783

36.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$6.66 MUR 313

178.23%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$6.06 MUR 285

-17.82%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$157 MUR 7,364

25.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$4,019 MUR 188.8K

32.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$51.2 MUR 2,406

-30.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$43.15 MUR 2,027

-6.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$81.6 MUR 3,832

-3.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$77.3 MUR 3,629

15.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$516 MUR 24.2K

83.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$349 MUR 16.4K

35.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$932 MUR 43.8K

76.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$711 MUR 33.4K

70.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$5,335 MUR 250.6K

-23.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$4,169 MUR 195.8K

55.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$634 MUR 29.8K

3.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.25

82.72%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Baie du Tombeau: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $516 in Baie du Tombeau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $44.00 in Baie du Tombeau. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $213, with Baie du Tombeau cheaper for home cooking.

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 Baie du Tombeau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baie du Tombeau is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $516 in Baie du Tombeau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $989 in Baie du Tombeau – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Baie du Tombeau runs roughly 12% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $989 in Baie du Tombeau versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Baie du Tombeau but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Baie du Tombeau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Baie du Tombeau 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Baie du Tombeau 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 Baie du Tombeau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.