Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Banha

For one person, living is cheaper in Banha: $401 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Banha, Egypt
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Banha
🇪🇬 Egypt
$401
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Banha

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Banha actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $401 in Banha, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Banha $401

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $639 in Banha, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,102
  • Banha $639

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $878 in Banha, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,000
  • Banha $878

Playa del Carmen costs about 200% more than Banha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Banha are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Banha 70% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Banha
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.86 MX$203
$3.91 E£216
177.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.21 MX$824
$11.30 E£624
291.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.76 MX$219
$2.78 E£154
323.02%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.6
$0.45 E£24.93
717.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 MX$25.01
$0.30 E£16.47
346.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 MX$15.38
$0.09 E£5.22
811.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.06 MX$57.1
$1.29 E£71.5
137.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.94 MX$92.1
$2.91 E£161
69.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Banha
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.41
$0.86 E£47.41
70.93%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.32
$0.67 E£37.17
231.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.48 MX$27.57
$0.65 E£35.74
127.69%
Eggs
$2.49 MX$46.41
$1.14 E£62.9
118.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.52 MX$140
$1.92 E£106
291.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.96 MX$148
$4.48 E£247
77.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.57 MX$234
$9.04 E£500
39.05%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.8
$1.54 E£85.4
80.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 MX$26.61
$0.49 E£27.01
191.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.62 MX$48.81
$0.52 E£28.89
403.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.85
$0.33 E£18.15
548.48%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.72
$0.26 E£14.39
676.92%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 MX$37.08
$0.30 E£16.44
563.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.20
$0.25 E£13.71
356.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 MX$22.38
$0.21 E£11.84
471.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 MX$79.4
$1.36 E£75.1
213.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.02 MX$187
$5.84 E£323
71.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 MX$28.67
$1.20 E£66.4
28.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 MX$49.62
$2.30 E£127
15.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Banha
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.53 MX$9.82
$0.20 E£11.04
165.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.51 MX$513
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.90 MX$91.4
$0.55 E£30.43
790.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.43 MX$64.1
$0.18 E£9.99
1805.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.38 MX$100
$0.96 E£53.2
460.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 MX$27.00
$0.46 E£25.57
215.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$394.5K
$31.7K E£1.7M
-33.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.0K MX$429.2K
$26.1K E£1.4M
-11.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Banha
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$85.4 MX$1,592
$14.12 E£780
504.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.46 MX$438
$2.32 E£128
911.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.43 MX$530
$13.48 E£745
110.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Banha
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$62.2 MX$1,160
$15.86 E£876
292.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.68 MX$535
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.10 MX$95.2
$2.88 E£159
77.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Banha
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 MX$3,749
$87.2 E£4,816
130.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,947 MX$73.6K
$2,099 E£115.9K
88.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Banha
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.39 MX$828
$6.77 E£374
555.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.35 MX$771
$11.36 E£628
264.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.7 MX$1,356
$129 E£7,151
-43.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.6 MX$1,671
$56.1 E£3,101
59.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Banha
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$979 MX$18.3K
$129 E£7,142
657.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$373 MX$6,950
$77.1 E£4,261
383.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,681 MX$31.3K
$258 E£14.2K
552.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,095 MX$20.4K
$142 E£7,867
669.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,949 MX$73.6K
$749 E£41.4K
427.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,137 MX$114.4K
$345 E£19.0K
1680.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Banha
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$738 MX$13.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
21.33
-46.32%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Banha: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$373
Banha
$77 79.3% $296
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Banha
$119 53.8% $139
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Banha
$59 70.6% $141
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Banha
$30 78.2% $107
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Banha
$92 17.9% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$72
Banha
$22 70.1% $51
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$52
Banha
$2.3 * 95.6% $49

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $129 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 $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $11 in Banha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $119 – making Banha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇪🇬 Banha
🕒 Local time
01:17 1:17 AM
09:17 9:17 AM
8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
167,029
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 18.65 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.92 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 55.25 EGP (100 EGP = 1.81 USD). 1 EUR = 61.99 EGP (100 EGP = 1.61 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Banha 11,310 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Banha

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
How do living costs in Playa del Carmen and in Banha compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $401 in Banha – roughly 200% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Playa del Carmen compared to Banha?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $601 in Banha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Playa del Carmen and Banha?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Banha, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $129 there versus $979 in Playa del Carmen.
Which city is more expensive overall: Playa del Carmen or Banha?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $401 in Banha. That’s a gap of about 200%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Playa del Carmen and Banha?
Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $87 in Banha. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Banha, where all-in costs run around $401, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Banha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Playa del Carmen or Banha?
Families tend to lean toward Banha – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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