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 $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $414 in Banha, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $670 in Banha, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $926 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 6% lower, Banha 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$3.86 E£197

203.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$789

$11.69 E£594

298.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$2.91 E£148

300.34%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.3

$0.47 E£23.88

770.21%

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

$1.37 MX$23.28

$0.31 E£16.02

341.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.12

$0.09 E£4.34

822.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.8

$1.36 E£69.2

146.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.97 E£151

132.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.26

$0.84 E£42.94

105.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.29

$0.76 E£38.63

197.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.98

$0.66 E£33.67

168.18%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.29

$1.21 E£61.7

125.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$156

$2.00 E£102

359.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$4.50 E£229

98.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$214

$9.42 E£479

33.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.2

$1.55 E£78.7

94.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.61

$0.51 E£25.85

207.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.01

$0.58 E£29.34

267.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.36

$0.35 E£17.89

545.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.95

$0.25 E£12.61

700.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.98

$0.31 E£15.56

564.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.99

$0.27 E£13.59

337.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.40

$0.22 E£11.19

445.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.5

$1.34 E£68.2

245.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$5.80 E£295

84.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.44

$1.31 E£66.6

23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.81

$2.69 E£137

7.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.71

$0.19 E£9.50

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.3

$0.57 E£29.05

856.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.8

$0.42 E£21.56

780.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$0.97 E£49.11

516.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.32

$0.44 E£22.49

252.27%

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

$22.3K MX$378.3K

$33.4K E£1.7M

-33.16%

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

$25.9K MX$439.6K

$27.9K E£1.4M

-7.00%

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

$89.1 MX$1,510

$14.50 E£738

514.69%

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

$25.04 MX$424

$2.33 E£119

974.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$534

$13.60 E£692

131.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,148

$17.79 E£905

281.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$490

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.6

$2.98 E£151

69.46%

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

$225 MX$3,811

$83.8 E£4,262

168.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.5K

$2,133 E£108.5K

97.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$804

$6.80 E£346

597.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$762

$11.70 E£595

284.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,389

$124 E£6,332

-34.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,560

$54.0 E£2,745

70.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$135 E£6,878

690.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,867

$86.6 E£4,407

367.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.8K

$265 E£13.5K

630.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$174 E£8,872

646.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.7K

$739 E£37.6K

440.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.3K

$403 E£20.5K

1545.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

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: August 29, 2026

Last update for Banha: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $135 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $12.00 in Banha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 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: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, $414 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 $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $621 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 $1,293 in Playa del Carmen and $414 in Banha. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $225 per month in Playa del Carmen and $83.8 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 $414, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. 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 $414 in Banha to $1,293 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.