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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $971 in Bakaly, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,480 in Bakaly, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,990 in Bakaly, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 31% more than Bakaly, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Bakaly are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bakaly 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$8.75 ₽634

35.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$38.48 ₽2,788

11.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.32 ₽313

146.53%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.27 ₽164

51.98%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.29 ₽93.3

16.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.39 ₽28.48

143.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.90 ₽210

4.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.50 ₽181

84.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.00 ₽72.8

38.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.66 ₽47.56

180.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.62 ₽118

-0.62%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.81 ₽131

43.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$14.39 ₽1,042

-42.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.83 ₽278

118.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.72 ₽632

22.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.77 ₽128

48.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.98 ₽144

-24.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.39 ₽101

38.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$3.00 ₽217

-30.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.07 ₽77.5

73.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.99 ₽71.5

128.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.50 ₽109

-29.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.64 ₽46.66

70.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.09 ₽224

34.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.00 ₽580

29.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.81 ₽58.9

112.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.95 ₽142

33.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.49 ₽35.55

10.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.24 ₽235

-3.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.33 ₽23.56

660.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$7.82 ₽567

-59.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.80 ₽57.7

58.75%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$32.2K ₽2.3M

-5.64%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$31.2K ₽2.3M

-24.36%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$98.8 ₽7,156

-15.95%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$4.74 ₽343

379.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$7.18 ₽520

310.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$36.22 ₽2,625

40.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.14 ₽372

-4.09%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$328 ₽23.7K

-39.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$6,947 ₽503.4K

-24.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$69.1 ₽5,006

-46.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$44.51 ₽3,225

-10.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$113 ₽8,159

-28.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$108 ₽7,815

-17.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$453 ₽32.8K

111.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$307 ₽22.3K

55.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$776 ₽56.2K

112.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$514 ₽37.3K

138.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,694 ₽195.2K

45.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,733 ₽125.5K

272.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bakaly: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $453 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: $250 vs $203 – 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 31% 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,457 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 23% 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 $971, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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 $971 versus $1,271 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.