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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $966 in Bakaly, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,463 in Bakaly, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,960 in Bakaly, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 33% more than Bakaly, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Bakaly are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Bakaly 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$8.33 ₽626

43.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$38.32 ₽2,879

11.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$4.56 ₽343

132.24%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.27 ₽171

59.47%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.27 ₽95.6

15.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.42 ₽31.68

123.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.88 ₽216

7.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.47 ₽186

80.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.02 ₽76.3

40.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.66 ₽49.31

184.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.64 ₽123

-0.61%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.82 ₽137

45.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$13.97 ₽1,050

-41.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.92 ₽294

111.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$8.98 ₽675

23.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.70 ₽128

55.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.91 ₽143

-21.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.31 ₽98.4

51.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$3.00 ₽225

-30.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.08 ₽81.1

65.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.92 ₽68.8

136.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.53 ₽115

-29.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.62 ₽46.45

67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.04 ₽228

30.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$8.12 ₽610

25.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$0.86 ₽64.4

101.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.92 ₽144

30.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.50 ₽37.47

4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$3.25 ₽244

-3.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.35 ₽26.61

585.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$7.82 ₽587

-60.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.78 ₽58.8

62.82%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$31.4K ₽2.4M

-1.71%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$32.0K ₽2.4M

-27.15%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$99.0 ₽7,432

-17.12%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$4.72 ₽354

375.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$6.87 ₽516

331.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$35.45 ₽2,662

46.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.94 ₽371

0.61%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$320 ₽24.1K

-38.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$6,946 ₽521.7K

-24.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$70.8 ₽5,319

-48.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$45.27 ₽3,400

-11.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$114 ₽8,537

-29.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$106 ₽7,941

-15.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$447 ₽33.5K

115.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$300 ₽22.6K

54.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$771 ₽57.9K

107.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$502 ₽37.7K

140.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,901 ₽142.8K

107.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,543 ₽115.9K

317.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

16.33

-30.07%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Bakaly: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $447 in Bakaly. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.00 in Bakaly. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $202 – making Bakaly the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Bakaly: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 33% more than Bakaly, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,449 in Bakaly. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bakaly, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $38.00 in Bakaly. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bakaly, where all-in costs run around $966, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Bakaly it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bakaly costs $966 versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Bakaly. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.