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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $415 in Banha, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $666 in Banha, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $916 in Banha, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 213% more than Banha, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Banha are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Banha 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.57 E£185

228.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$12.08 E£627

244.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$2.90 E£151

266.90%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$0.47 E£24.26

648.94%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.29 E£15.01

420.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.09 E£4.78

977.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.17 E£60.6

152.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$2.91 E£151

52.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$0.87 E£45.22

58.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.78 E£40.60

142.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.66 E£34.02

148.48%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.45 E£75.1

73.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$2.02 E£105

312.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$4.33 E£225

92.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$9.67 E£502

10.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.43 E£74.0

81.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$0.50 E£26.12

192.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$0.39 E£20.38

387.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$0.39 E£20.36

433.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$0.40 E£20.88

345.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$0.44 E£22.86

397.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.24 E£12.49

333.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.20 E£10.22

440.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$1.41 E£73.1

189.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$5.62 E£292

83.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.35 E£69.9

26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.65 E£137

-2.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.16 E£8.49

218.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$0.56 E£28.82

482.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.42 E£22.03

492.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$1.02 E£53.2

218.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$0.33 E£17.16

296.97%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$34.4K E£1.8M

-12.00%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$28.2K E£1.5M

-16.79%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$11.33 E£588

631.42%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$2.39 E£124

829.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$10.01 E£519

193.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$22.06 E£1,145

134.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$2.90 E£151

74.83%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$89.3 E£4,636

124.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$1,861 E£96.6K

180.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$6.75 E£350

446.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$12.00 E£623

231.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$107 E£5,530

-26.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$50.2 E£2,605

73.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$189 E£9,795

415.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$98.6 E£5,117

374.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$308 E£16.0K

432.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$174 E£9,052

599.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$796 E£41.3K

395.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$403 E£20.9K

1512.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-32.82%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Banha: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $189 in Banha. 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $12.00 in Banha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $124 – making Banha 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 Banha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, $415 in Banha – roughly 213% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $622 in Banha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Banha, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $415 in Banha. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $89.3 in Banha. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Banha, where all-in costs run around $415, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Banha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $415 in Banha to $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Banha. 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.