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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,020 in Bakaly, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,582 in Bakaly, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,144 in Bakaly, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 24% more than Bakaly, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Bakaly are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Bakaly 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$9.29 ₽785

24.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$34.38 ₽2,906

37.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$7.69 ₽650

54.49%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.69 ₽227

47.96%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.06 ₽89.6

34.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.33 ₽28.11

148.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.27 ₽192

40.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.71 ₽229

150.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.32 ₽111

27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.93 ₽79.0

136.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$2.12 ₽179

-19.34%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$1.53 ₽130

79.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$17.32 ₽1,464

-44.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.79 ₽405

88.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$6.99 ₽591

83.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.02 ₽171

43.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.52 ₽129

-1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.78 ₽150

20.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$2.19 ₽185

3.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.68 ₽57.3

191.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.45 ₽37.89

342.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.25 ₽106

-1.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.58 ₽49.21

106.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$2.77 ₽234

64.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$7.58 ₽641

36.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$0.67 ₽56.9

141.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.04 ₽173

41.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.53 ₽44.56

13.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$1.12 ₽94.5

381.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$0.31 ₽26.50

1103.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$5.39 ₽455

7.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$0.78 ₽65.7

97.44%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$35.2K ₽3.0M

-35.90%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$31.5K ₽2.7M

-17.33%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$144 ₽12.2K

-36.70%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$5.81 ₽491

333.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$8.01 ₽677

290.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$33.94 ₽2,868

98.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$23.60 ₽1,994

23.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$5.14 ₽435

-5.45%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$289 ₽24.4K

-22.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$5,685 ₽480.4K

-25.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$59.3 ₽5,007

-20.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$44.31 ₽3,745

-0.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$114 ₽9,661

-29.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$140 ₽11.8K

-33.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$457 ₽38.7K

132.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$314 ₽26.5K

24.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$774 ₽65.4K

177.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$522 ₽44.1K

143.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$2,225 ₽188.0K

79.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,457 ₽123.2K

346.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

22.38

-48.84%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Bakaly: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $457 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $34.00 in Bakaly. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $209 – 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 24% more than Bakaly, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,529 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $34.00 in Bakaly. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% 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 $1,020, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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 $1,020 versus $1,266 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.