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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $982 in Bambous.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,592 in Bambous.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,202 in Bambous.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 29% more expensive than Bambous, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bambous 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$4.29 MUR 202

176.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$44.82 MUR 2,111

-4.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.31 MUR 203

147.10%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.25 MUR 106

53.33%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.94 MUR 44.43

59.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.45 MUR 21.36

111.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.18 MUR 103

38.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.60 MUR 75.4

188.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.23 MUR 57.7

12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.71 MUR 33.50

160.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.11 MUR 52.3

45.05%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.24 MUR 105

15.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$11.79 MUR 555

-29.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.32 MUR 156

152.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$4.52 MUR 213

135.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.06 MUR 97.0

27.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.01 MUR 94.8

-25.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.50 MUR 70.5

28.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.70 MUR 127

-22.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.99 MUR 46.41

87.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.00 MUR 47.15

126.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.79 MUR 37.21

34.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.79 MUR 37.29

37.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$6.51 MUR 307

-36.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.54 MUR 402

21.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.72 MUR 80.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.15 MUR 101

21.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.04 MUR 48.88

-48.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$4.43 MUR 209

-29.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.73 MUR 129

-8.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$19.90 MUR 937

-84.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.40 MUR 65.8

-9.29%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$35.4K MUR 1.7M

-14.12%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$29.2K MUR 1.4M

-19.35%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$49.66 MUR 2,338

67.14%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$18.59 MUR 876

22.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$33.77 MUR 1,590

-12.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$38.88 MUR 1,831

31.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.07 MUR 286

-18.78%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$157 MUR 7,385

25.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,932 MUR 185.2K

34.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$84.2 MUR 3,965

-56.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$79.3 MUR 3,733

-49.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$133 MUR 6,282

-40.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$93.8 MUR 4,418

-4.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$513 MUR 24.1K

86.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$351 MUR 16.5K

35.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$931 MUR 43.8K

76.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$718 MUR 33.8K

70.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.67

71.21%

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 Bambous: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $513 in Bambous. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $45.00 in Bambous. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $188, with Bambous cheaper for home cooking.

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 Bambous: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Bambous differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $982 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,473 in Bambous 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $513 in Bambous. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $157 in Bambous. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bambous – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $982 in Bambous versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bambous but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bambous 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 Bambous 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 Bambous gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.