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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,020 in Baku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,600 in Baku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,181 in Baku.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 27% more expensive than in Baku, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Baku 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$9.03 ₼15.35

29.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$41.88 ₼71.2

11.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$7.63 ₼12.97

52.69%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$3.50 ₼5.95

16.86%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$1.09 ₼1.85

25.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.60 ₼1.03

38.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$1.78 ₼3.03

88.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.58 ₼4.39

167.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$1.58 ₼2.68

9.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$0.50 ₼0.84

352.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$2.63 ₼4.46

-32.70%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$2.01 ₼3.41

35.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$4.95 ₼8.41

85.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$5.10 ₼8.67

74.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$11.90 ₼20.23

5.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$1.40 ₼2.38

115.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$1.83 ₼3.12

-14.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$1.55 ₼2.63

37.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$1.74 ₼2.95

29.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$0.79 ₼1.34

153.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$0.62 ₼1.05

232.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.79 ₼1.34

49.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.79 ₼1.35

51.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$3.14 ₼5.34

47.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$8.92 ₼15.15

19.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$1.56 ₼2.65

3.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$2.96 ₼5.03

-2.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.36 ₼0.62

58.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$20.95 ₼35.60

42.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$2.08 ₼3.54

162.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.57 ₼0.98

549.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$3.59 ₼6.10

66.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$0.65 ₼1.11

138.46%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$23.4K ₼39.7K

-4.44%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$21.1K ₼35.8K

23.16%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$70.6 ₼120

26.26%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$11.15 ₼18.95

124.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$15.12 ₼25.70

108.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

$47.70 ₼81.1

42.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$16.83 ₼28.60

71.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$5.97 ₼10.14

-15.41%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$333 ₼566

-32.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$6,682 ₼11.4K

-36.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$69.3 ₼118

-31.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$55.6 ₼94.5

-19.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$131 ₼222

-37.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$116 ₼197

-20.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$539 ₼916

98.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

$325 ₼552

24.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,046 ₼1,777

85.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$531 ₼903

144.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$2,256 ₼3,834

77.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$1,310 ₼2,227

405.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$541 ₼919

38.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.08

26.10%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Baku: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $539 in Baku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 38% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $42.00 in Baku for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $196 per month, with Baku 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 Baku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Baku differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,293 vs $1,020 including rent). Baku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $539 in Baku. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $333 in Baku. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,020 in Baku versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Baku but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Baku the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Baku 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 Baku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.