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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $975 in Bambous.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,574 in Bambous.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,174 in Bambous.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 29% more expensive than in 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

$11.72 MX$203

$4.44 MUR 208

163.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$43.73 MUR 2,049

-4.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$4.44 MUR 208

136.71%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.14 MUR 100

67.76%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.96 MUR 45.07

57.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.46 MUR 21.53

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.26 MUR 106

30.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$1.61 MUR 75.6

173.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.23 MUR 57.4

13.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.70 MUR 32.64

168.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.13 MUR 52.9

38.05%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.31 MUR 108

12.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$11.91 MUR 558

-30.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.26 MUR 153

156.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$4.44 MUR 208

144.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.97 MUR 92.3

37.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.02 MUR 94.4

-25.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.46 MUR 68.2

28.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.63 MUR 123

-16.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.03 MUR 48.32

80.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.01 MUR 47.18

120.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.84 MUR 39.13

27.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.81 MUR 38.14

34.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$6.56 MUR 307

-36.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$8.21 MUR 385

27.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.74 MUR 81.5

-4.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.26 MUR 106

15.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.00 MUR 46.83

-46.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$4.49 MUR 210

-31.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.62 MUR 123

-8.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$19.98 MUR 936

-84.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.45 MUR 68.1

-9.66%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$35.4K MUR 1.7M

-15.74%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

-19.96%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$50.4 MUR 2,361

61.27%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$18.70 MUR 876

20.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$33.21 MUR 1,556

-9.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$38.47 MUR 1,802

37.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$5.91 MUR 277

-16.75%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$157 MUR 7,336

28.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,965 MUR 185.7K

30.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$83.9 MUR 3,928

-57.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$78.3 MUR 3,666

-48.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$131 MUR 6,123

-39.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$95.7 MUR 4,483

-9.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$504 MUR 23.6K

93.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$353 MUR 16.5K

33.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$952 MUR 44.6K

73.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$713 MUR 33.4K

68.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bambous: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $504 in Bambous. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $44.00 in Bambous. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $187, 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 ($1,260 vs $975 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,463 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $504 in Bambous. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 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 $44.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $975 in Bambous versus $1,260 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.