Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bayamo

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,495 in Bayamo, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Bayamo
Learn more

Bayamo Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Bayamo

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,495

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Bayamo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,495 in Bayamo.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Bayamo $1,495

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,078 in Bayamo.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Bayamo $2,078

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,662 in Bayamo.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Bayamo $2,662

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 19% less than in Bayamo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Bayamo is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$3.19 CUP 76.7

240.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$49.86 CUP 1,197

-11.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$6.87 CUP 165

71.18%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$3.30 CUP 79.1

11.52%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$1.45 CUP 34.73

-7.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$1.08 CUP 25.82

-24.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$2.02 CUP 48.52

51.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$1.71 CUP 41.16

188.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$2.96 CUP 71.1

-50.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$0.99 CUP 23.67

124.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$3.03 CUP 72.6

-51.16%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$3.64 CUP 87.4

-31.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$5.91 CUP 142

27.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$5.86 CUP 141

35.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$11.89 CUP 285

5.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$5.01 CUP 120

-44.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.18 CUP 28.39

21.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$1.54 CUP 36.92

70.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$1.49 CUP 35.67

43.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$2.06 CUP 49.33

-1.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$3.03 CUP 72.6

-34.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$1.02 CUP 24.46

11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$1.09 CUP 26.12

10.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$3.92 CUP 94.1

8.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$9.84 CUP 236

1.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.97 CUP 47.40

-21.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$1.96 CUP 47.06

35.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$0.18 CUP 4.27

194.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$35.49 CUP 852

-22.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$2.30 CUP 55.3

113.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$0.41 CUP 9.91

736.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$19.86 CUP 477

-72.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.23 CUP 29.42

17.89%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$76.0K CUP 1.8M

-72.14%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$90.5K CUP 2.2M

-74.57%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$29.76 CUP 714

186.83%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$9.84 CUP 236

138.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$251 CUP 6,013

-88.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$39.21 CUP 941

58.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$9.84 CUP 236

191.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$1.01 CUP 24.30

404.95%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$96.4 CUP 2,313

108.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$14.8K CUP 354.8K

-73.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$19.61 CUP 471

126.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$25.03 CUP 601

65.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$69.5 CUP 1,668

4.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$55.2 CUP 1,325

62.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$418 CUP 10.0K

134.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$680 CUP 16.3K

-45.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$581 CUP 13.9K

189.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$960 CUP 23.0K

14.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$396 CUP 9,497

897.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$352 CUP 8,441

1644.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$19.86 CUP 477

3613.49%

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: October 17, 2026

Last update for Bayamo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Bayamo

$680 45.5% 82.5% $307

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Bayamo

$257 17.2% 0.4% $1

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Bayamo

$109 7.3% 45.4% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Bayamo

$290 19.4% 111% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Bayamo

$76 5.1% 31.7% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Bayamo

$41 2.8% 43% $31

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Bayamo

$41 2.7% 21.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $979 in Playa del Carmen and $418 in Bayamo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 3613% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $50.0 in Bayamo. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $257, with Bayamo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇺 Bayamo

🕒 Local time

09:36 9:36 AM

10:36 10:36 AM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

225,567

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.98 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Bayamo 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Bayamo

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 Bayamo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in utilities. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 3613% 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: $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $418 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 $44.00 versus $50.0 in Bayamo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,495 in Bayamo – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,495 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 24% less than in Bayamo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.