Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Baiquan Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Baiquan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $702 in Baiquan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,121 in Baiquan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,539 in Baiquan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 85% more expensive than Baiquan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Baiquan 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.72 ¥18.43

331.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$719

$21.25 ¥144

95.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.92 ¥33.30

116.26%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.8

$2.99 ¥20.24

17.73%

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

$1.51 MX$26.09

$0.43 ¥2.92

251.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.82

$0.29 ¥1.98

234.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$0.89 ¥6.06

231.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.08 ¥14.06

113.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$1.78 ¥12.04

-22.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.69

$1.60 ¥10.80

18.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.29

$0.90 ¥6.09

82.22%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.30

$1.64 ¥11.10

53.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$12.76 ¥86.4

-34.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.12 ¥21.14

167.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$185

$10.10 ¥68.4

6.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.00

$1.72 ¥11.66

51.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.18

$1.21 ¥8.23

20.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.84

$1.42 ¥9.65

33.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.88

$1.08 ¥7.33

92.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.68

$0.68 ¥4.61

161.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.76

$0.90 ¥6.12

143.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.97

$0.59 ¥4.01

76.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.55 ¥3.75

96.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.5

$3.15 ¥21.32

29.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$11.38 ¥77.1

-9.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.59

$0.79 ¥5.37

116.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.50

$1.66 ¥11.26

55.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.29 ¥1.98

75.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$457

$16.96 ¥115

56.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.37 ¥9.30

137.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.05

$0.33 ¥2.22

654.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$6.63 ¥44.93

-50.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.59

$1.17 ¥7.90

11.97%

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

$30.3K MX$523.2K

$19.1K ¥129.3K

58.57%

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

$23.4K MX$404.9K

$16.4K ¥110.9K

43.06%

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

$82.9 MX$1,432

$46.03 ¥312

80.03%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$9.59 ¥65.0

131.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$11.62 ¥78.7

152.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$892

$42.13 ¥285

22.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$13.97 ¥94.6

31.14%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.5

$6.13 ¥41.50

-17.29%

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

$201 MX$3,470

$336 ¥2,278

-40.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$17.0K ¥115.2K

-69.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$638

$43.56 ¥295

-15.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$30.63 ¥207

29.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,356

$71.0 ¥481

10.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,505

$75.2 ¥510

15.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$275 ¥1,865

253.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,082

$190 ¥1,284

146.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$591 ¥4,004

177.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$363 ¥2,458

236.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.2K

$2,737 ¥18.5K

44.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

$1,784 ¥12.1K

264.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.87

195.09%

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 Baiquan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $275 in Baiquan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Baiquan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $198 per month, with Baiquan 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 Baiquan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baiquan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,052 in Baiquan 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $275 in Baiquan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $336 in Baiquan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $702 in Baiquan versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Baiquan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Baiquan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Baiquan 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 Baiquan 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 Baiquan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.