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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,883 in Bangor.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,958 in Bangor.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,033 in Bangor.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 31% less than in Bangor, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Bangor is 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$24.78 £18.45

-52.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$84.2 £62.7

-50.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$10.33 £7.70

0.77%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$4.49 £3.34

-19.60%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$2.02 £1.50

-27.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$1.93 £1.44

-49.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$6.78 £5.05

-56.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$7.52 £5.60

-38.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.92 £1.43

-25.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$2.34 £1.75

-18.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$2.30 £1.71

-31.74%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$3.89 £2.89

-32.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$10.09 £7.51

-16.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$11.05 £8.23

-22.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$13.79 £10.27

-20.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$3.17 £2.36

-14.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.59 £1.19

-5.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$2.78 £2.07

-31.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$3.60 £2.68

-39.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$1.68 £1.25

11.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$1.49 £1.11

49.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.07 £0.80

0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$1.51 £1.13

-29.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$18.95 £14.11

-78.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$11.24 £8.37

-8.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$2.72 £2.03

-38.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$3.23 £2.40

-21.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$4.11 £3.06

-86.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$87.4 £65.1

-69.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$4.81 £3.58

-33.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$1.93 £1.44

27.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$23.36 £17.40

-86.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.95 £1.45

-32.31%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$38.4K £28.6K

-21.48%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$42.0K £31.3K

-44.28%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$293 £218

-72.26%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$24.86 £18.51

-9.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$40.48 £30.15

-25.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$43.61 £32.48

18.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$20.15 £15.01

-8.73%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$10.67 £7.95

-51.64%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$1,579 £1,176

-87.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$18.0K £13.4K

-70.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$85.0 £63.3

-58.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$43.94 £32.73

-8.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$107 £79.7

-26.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$124 £92.6

-30.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$623 £464

52.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$514 £383

-7.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$1,275 £949

27.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$1,082 £806

13.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$2,411 £1,795

-72.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.5

107.64%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Bangor: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $623 in Bangor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangor pays 258% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $84.0 in Bangor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $322 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Bangor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bangor earns 258% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $623 in Bangor. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $84.0 in Bangor. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,883 in Bangor – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,883 in Bangor, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Bangor. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bangor, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Bangor 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Bangor. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.