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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $801 in Bayawan City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,258 in Bayawan City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,714 in Bayawan City.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 61% more expensive than Bayawan City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Bayawan City 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$4.45 ₱272

168.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$23.57 ₱1,442

81.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$4.42 ₱270

139.59%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.66 ₱163

36.09%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.85 ₱52.1

72.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.43 ₱26.20

118.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$1.57 ₱96.1

96.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$2.07 ₱127

115.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.90 ₱116

-24.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.51 ₱92.5

24.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$0.81 ₱49.54

101.23%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.27 ₱139

16.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$13.02 ₱797

-36.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$5.28 ₱323

57.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$7.76 ₱474

43.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$3.45 ₱211

-23.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.48 ₱90.5

1.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$3.40 ₱208

-41.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$2.25 ₱137

-7.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$2.64 ₱162

-32.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$2.44 ₱149

-10.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.00 ₱61.0

8.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.77 ₱47.13

35.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$3.25 ₱199

22.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$4.85 ₱297

110.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$0.90 ₱55.3

92.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.33 ₱142

7.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.28 ₱17.34

85.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$0.87 ₱53.4

260.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.23 ₱14.03

943.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$2.61 ₱160

18.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.10 ₱67.5

15.45%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$30.5K ₱1.9M

1.40%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$26.8K ₱1.6M

-13.05%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$97.3 ₱5,951

-15.69%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$34.88 ₱2,134

-35.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$29.35 ₱1,796

1.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$34.21 ₱2,093

51.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$4.47 ₱274

317.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$1.82 ₱111

173.08%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$229 ₱14.0K

-13.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$3,862 ₱236.3K

36.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$45.64 ₱2,792

-20.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$23.45 ₱1,435

70.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$75.8 ₱4,635

5.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$56.2 ₱3,441

58.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$261 ₱16.0K

269.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$179 ₱11.0K

159.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$595 ₱36.4K

168.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$397 ₱24.3K

204.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$2,233 ₱136.6K

76.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$117 ₱7,161

515.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

42.75%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Bayawan City: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $261 in Bayawan City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 516% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $24.00 in Bayawan City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $231 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 61% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $801 including rent). Bayawan City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 516% more on average, 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $261 in Bayawan City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $229 in Bayawan City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bayawan City – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $801 in Bayawan City versus $1,287 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 61% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.