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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,077 in Baie du Tombeau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,744 in Baie du Tombeau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,411 in Baie du Tombeau.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 21% more expensive than in Baie du Tombeau, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Baie du Tombeau 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$5.88 MUR 275

103.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$37.83 MUR 1,770

25.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$7.02 MUR 329

67.38%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.58 MUR 121

59.69%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.15 MUR 53.8

21.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.63 MUR 29.33

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.58 MUR 121

24.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.80 MUR 178

86.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.48 MUR 69.1

13.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.74 MUR 34.60

190.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.16 MUR 54.2

52.59%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.39 MUR 112

17.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$5.20 MUR 243

76.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.18 MUR 289

49.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$11.29 MUR 528

11.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.09 MUR 97.8

41.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$2.34 MUR 110

-32.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.46 MUR 68.4

52.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$2.95 MUR 138

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.00 MUR 46.70

99.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.97 MUR 45.31

104.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.74 MUR 34.75

67.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.88 MUR 41.27

37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$6.37 MUR 298

-27.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$8.34 MUR 390

26.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.70 MUR 79.8

-0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.28 MUR 107

21.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.65 MUR 30.43

-7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$27.88 MUR 1,305

6.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$4.20 MUR 197

24.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$3.12 MUR 146

16.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$21.61 MUR 1,011

-73.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.38 MUR 64.7

11.59%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$32.8K MUR 1.5M

-30.39%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$31.5K MUR 1.5M

-18.15%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$45.77 MUR 2,142

98.10%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$10.52 MUR 492

139.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$29.27 MUR 1,370

8.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$35.57 MUR 1,665

93.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$6.46 MUR 302

354.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$6.26 MUR 293

-22.36%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$125 MUR 5,850

80.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$7,760 MUR 363.2K

-45.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$67.7 MUR 3,167

-29.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$68.0 MUR 3,182

-36.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$115 MUR 5,392

-30.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$78.7 MUR 3,683

16.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$573 MUR 26.8K

89.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$394 MUR 18.4K

3.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,100 MUR 51.5K

79.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$848 MUR 39.7K

51.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$5,238 MUR 245.1K

-22.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$4,206 MUR 196.8K

59.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$626 MUR 29.3K

23.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.34

80.60%

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 Baie du Tombeau: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $573 in Baie du Tombeau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 23% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $38.00 in Baie du Tombeau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $210 per month, with Baie du Tombeau 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 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, Getting Around. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $573 in Baie du Tombeau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,077 in Baie du Tombeau – a 21% 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 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,077 in Baie du Tombeau versus $1,305 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 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.