Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bayawan City Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bayawan City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $757 in Bayawan City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,157 in Bayawan City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,557 in Bayawan City.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 67% more expensive than in Bayawan City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Bayawan City 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$2.93 ₱184

295.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$23.27 ₱1,462

102.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$3.91 ₱246

203.84%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$2.49 ₱156

59.84%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.61 ₱38.46

134.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.52 ₱32.91

57.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.71 ₱108

86.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.20 ₱138

208.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.79 ₱112

-6.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.12 ₱70.5

96.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$0.73 ₱45.74

134.25%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.96 ₱123

39.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$9.98 ₱627

-4.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.35 ₱273

107.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.57 ₱476

69.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$3.33 ₱209

-13.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.45 ₱91.1

3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$2.33 ₱146

-7.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.49 ₱93.7

51.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$2.32 ₱146

-14.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.96 ₱123

1.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$1.18 ₱74.2

4.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.66 ₱41.61

81.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.91 ₱183

56.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$4.70 ₱295

120.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$0.78 ₱48.93

107.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$1.71 ₱108

68.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.27 ₱17.06

122.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$10.33 ₱649

178.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.77 ₱48.58

600.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.20 ₱12.54

1765.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$1.90 ₱119

203.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.08 ₱67.8

42.59%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$21.1K ₱1.3M

6.65%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$19.3K ₱1.2M

34.98%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$119 ₱7,446

-22.89%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$15.00 ₱942

68.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$28.13 ₱1,768

11.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$36.32 ₱2,282

85.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$4.38 ₱275

564.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$1.62 ₱102

200.00%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$135 ₱8,478

65.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$7,922 ₱497.7K

-46.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$31.39 ₱1,972

50.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$19.13 ₱1,202

131.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$76.2 ₱4,785

5.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$54.9 ₱3,447

68.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$276 ₱17.4K

284.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$187 ₱11.8K

108.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$558 ₱35.1K

285.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$345 ₱21.7K

268.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$2,588 ₱162.6K

54.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$927 ₱58.2K

601.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$113 ₱7,107

570.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

7.2

59.03%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Bayawan City: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $276 in Bayawan City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 570% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $23.00 in Bayawan City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $197 per month, with Bayawan City 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 Bayawan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Bayawan City differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $757 including rent). Bayawan City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 570% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $276 in Bayawan City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bayawan City – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $757 in Bayawan City versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bayawan City but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bayawan City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Bayawan City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.