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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,448 in Bayamo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,984 in Bayamo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,519 in Bayamo.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 10% less than in Bayamo, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Bayamo is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.21 CUP 77.1

272.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$803

$30.75 CUP 738

54.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$6.78 CUP 163

73.30%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$69.9

$2.17 CUP 52.1

89.86%

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

$1.40 MX$23.71

$1.28 CUP 30.64

9.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.46

$1.06 CUP 25.56

-14.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.3

$1.96 CUP 46.97

63.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$1.78 CUP 42.67

297.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.40

$2.51 CUP 60.2

-33.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.43

$0.97 CUP 23.37

121.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.06

$2.44 CUP 58.5

-27.46%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.69

$4.32 CUP 104

-34.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$4.47 CUP 107

105.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$156

$6.31 CUP 152

46.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$9.40 CUP 226

34.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.99

$7.33 CUP 176

-59.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.75

$1.22 CUP 29.32

29.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.65

$1.22 CUP 29.36

81.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.03

$1.28 CUP 30.71

84.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.76

$2.43 CUP 58.3

-18.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.53

$2.05 CUP 49.10

-3.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.01

$1.01 CUP 24.32

22.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.52

$1.51 CUP 36.25

-19.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.0

$3.98 CUP 95.5

15.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$10.13 CUP 243

3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.66

$1.97 CUP 47.24

-14.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.00

$1.54 CUP 36.97

79.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.21

$0.18 CUP 4.39

233.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$503

$17.32 CUP 416

71.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.7

$2.34 CUP 56.1

123.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.8

$0.72 CUP 17.19

406.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.0

$19.77 CUP 475

-70.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.06

$1.28 CUP 30.79

20.31%

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

$22.8K MX$386.3K

$58.4K CUP 1.4M

-60.97%

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

$25.8K MX$437.3K

$91.4K CUP 2.2M

-71.77%

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

$90.7 MX$1,536

$29.51 CUP 708

207.25%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$12.37 CUP 297

103.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$538

$250 CUP 5,997

-87.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$39.91 CUP 958

72.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$5.15 CUP 124

470.29%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.4

$1.03 CUP 24.65

371.84%

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

$226 MX$3,823

$94.6 CUP 2,270

138.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.0K

$14.8K CUP 354.9K

-71.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$803

$25.07 CUP 602

88.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$736

$22.33 CUP 536

94.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,359

$68.9 CUP 1,653

16.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,548

$41.76 CUP 1,002

118.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$430 CUP 10.3K

152.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,923

$669 CUP 16.1K

-38.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.4K

$588 CUP 14.1K

235.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$953 CUP 22.9K

34.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.5K

$390 CUP 9,352

938.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.6K

$355 CUP 8,512

1790.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$20.38 CUP 489

3694.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

90.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bayamo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $430 in Bayamo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 3694% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Bayamo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $257 per month, with Bayamo 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 Bayamo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 3694% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $430 in Bayamo. 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 $47.00 versus $31.00 in Bayamo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,448 in Bayamo – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,448 in Bayamo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Bayamo. 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 Bayamo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Bayamo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.