Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bainbridge Island, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,787 in Bainbridge Island, WA, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Bainbridge Island, WA, United States
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Bainbridge Island, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,787
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Bainbridge Island, WA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Bainbridge Island, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,787 in Bainbridge Island, WA, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Bainbridge Island, WA $2,787

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,891 in Bainbridge Island, WA, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Bainbridge Island, WA $4,891

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $6,994 in Bainbridge Island, WA, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Bainbridge Island, WA $6,994

Playa del Carmen is about 57% cheaper than Bainbridge Island, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Bainbridge Island, WA is 106% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Bainbridge Island, WA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$199
$23.38 $23.38
-54.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$815
$101 $101
-56.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$219
$14.82 $14.82
-20.45%
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$70.5
$4.67 $4.67
-18.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.14
$2.65 $2.65
-50.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.51
$2.93 $2.93
-71.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$58.6
$6.82 $6.82
-53.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$91.8
$7.77 $7.77
-36.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Bainbridge Island, WA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$1.09 $1.09
29.36%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$40.86
$5.19 $5.19
-57.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.40
$5.65 $5.65
-73.98%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.47
$3.20 $3.20
-21.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$136
$18.94 $18.94
-61.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$148
$18.31 $18.31
-56.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$239
$21.52 $21.52
-40.24%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.9
$5.95 $5.95
-51.26%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.74
$1.90 $1.90
-27.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.36
$5.44 $5.44
-54.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.78
$6.51 $6.51
-68.82%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.69
$3.54 $3.54
-42.94%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.42
$2.84 $2.84
-33.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.30
$2.68 $2.68
-57.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.06
$2.41 $2.41
-48.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$79.5
$12.15 $12.15
-64.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$183
$14.76 $14.76
-33.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.51
$4.14 $4.14
-61.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.1
$3.16 $3.16
-12.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Bainbridge Island, WA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.58
$2.06 $2.06
-75.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$510
$59.9 $59.9
-54.29%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$88.6
$2.63 $2.63
80.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$60.5
$1.25 $1.25
160.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$100
$30.44 $30.44
-82.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.44
$1.33 $1.33
15.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$394.8K
$36.0K $36.0K
-41.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$432.9K
$25.9K $25.9K
-10.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Bainbridge Island, WA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,554
$175 $175
-52.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$431
$68.2 $68.2
-65.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$514
$86.5 $86.5
-68.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Bainbridge Island, WA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,050
$40.69 $40.69
38.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$525
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.1
$13.83 $13.83
-63.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Bainbridge Island, WA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,854
$2,805 $2,805
-92.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$97.4K
$20.1K $20.1K
-74.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Bainbridge Island, WA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$809
$84.7 $84.7
-48.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$792
$51.0 $51.0
-16.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,354
$100 $100
-27.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,645
$160 $160
-44.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Bainbridge Island, WA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.5K
$1,562 $1,562
-36.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,116
$1,255 $1,255
-69.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.2K
$3,712 $3,712
-54.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.1K
$3,492 $3,492
-69.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$72.7K
$2,836 $2,836
37.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$114.2K
$2,344 $2,344
161.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Bainbridge Island, WA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.5K
$4,820 $4,820
-82.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
6
90.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bainbridge Island, WA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Bainbridge Island, WA
$1.3K 228% $872
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Bainbridge Island, WA
$519 102% $262
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Bainbridge Island, WA
$359 79.5% $159
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Bainbridge Island, WA
$330 146% $196
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Bainbridge Island, WA
$178 60.2% $67
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Bainbridge Island, WA
$68 2.9% $1.9
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Bainbridge Island, WA
$77 52.6% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,562 in Bainbridge Island, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bainbridge Island, WA are about 5.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $101 in Bainbridge Island, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $519 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇺🇸 Bainbridge Island, WA
🕒 Local time
14:11 2:11 PM
11:11 11:11 AM
3 h behind Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
24,825
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.86 MXN (100 MXN = 4.79 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Bainbridge Island, WA 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Bainbridge Island, WA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Bainbridge Island, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Playa del Carmen and in Bainbridge Island, WA compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, $2,787 in Bainbridge Island, WA – Playa del Carmen comes out roughly 57% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Playa del Carmen compared to Bainbridge Island, WA?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $4,180 in Bainbridge Island, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Playa del Carmen and Bainbridge Island, WA?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $1,562 in Bainbridge Island, WA.
How do commuting costs compare in Playa del Carmen and in Bainbridge Island, WA?
Public transport costs about 54% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Playa del Carmen and Bainbridge Island, WA?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,805 in Bainbridge Island, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Bainbridge Island, WA at $2,787. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bainbridge Island, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Playa del Carmen or Bainbridge Island, WA?
Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Playa del Carmen and Bainbridge Island, WA?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bainbridge Island, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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