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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,002 in Baie du Tombeau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,658 in Baie du Tombeau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,314 in Baie du Tombeau.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 29% more expensive than Baie du Tombeau, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Baie du Tombeau 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$6.69 MUR 316

75.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$43.28 MUR 2,045

-3.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.46 MUR 305

64.71%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.68 MUR 127

31.34%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.98 MUR 46.27

54.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.56 MUR 26.66

73.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.07 MUR 97.9

42.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.76 MUR 131

61.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.50 MUR 71.0

-8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.69 MUR 32.84

173.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.32 MUR 62.6

24.24%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.24 MUR 106

12.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$9.81 MUR 463

-14.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.01 MUR 284

38.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$10.43 MUR 493

2.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.07 MUR 97.6

25.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.99 MUR 94.2

-26.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.43 MUR 67.6

32.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$2.64 MUR 125

-21.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.03 MUR 48.53

72.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.94 MUR 44.53

132.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.85 MUR 40.10

22.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.58 MUR 27.20

86.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$6.10 MUR 288

-33.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$8.25 MUR 390

25.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.79 MUR 84.7

-4.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.16 MUR 102

19.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$1.05 MUR 49.51

-51.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$29.22 MUR 1,381

-9.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$4.38 MUR 207

-25.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$2.71 MUR 128

-8.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$15.60 MUR 737

-79.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.41 MUR 66.6

-7.09%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$35.8K MUR 1.7M

-15.43%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

-19.43%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$48.83 MUR 2,307

69.71%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$18.71 MUR 884

18.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$32.89 MUR 1,554

-10.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$38.41 MUR 1,815

34.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$6.68 MUR 316

174.25%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$6.20 MUR 293

-18.23%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$154 MUR 7,256

30.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$3,987 MUR 188.4K

30.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$51.2 MUR 2,417

-27.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$43.13 MUR 2,038

-7.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$82.2 MUR 3,884

-4.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$78.1 MUR 3,689

11.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$520 MUR 24.6K

86.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$349 MUR 16.5K

33.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$967 MUR 45.7K

69.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$730 MUR 34.5K

67.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$5,310 MUR 250.9K

-25.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$4,255 MUR 201.1K

52.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$645 MUR 30.5K

2.88%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Baie du Tombeau: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $520 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 $43.00 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. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 3% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $520 in Baie du Tombeau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,002 in Baie du Tombeau – a 29% 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 10% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,002 in Baie du Tombeau versus $1,297 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 29% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.