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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $791 in Bayawan City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,273 in Bayawan City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,755 in Bayawan City.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 59% more expensive than in Bayawan City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bayawan City 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$4.41 ₱270

165.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$23.63 ₱1,447

77.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$4.42 ₱270

137.78%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.52 ₱155

42.46%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.84 ₱51.3

79.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.45 ₱27.78

104.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.53 ₱93.7

93.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.09 ₱128

111.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.91 ₱117

-26.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.51 ₱92.7

24.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$0.81 ₱49.41

92.59%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.29 ₱140

13.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$13.12 ₱803

-36.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.32 ₱325

56.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.79 ₱477

39.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$3.63 ₱222

-25.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.52 ₱93.1

-0.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$3.44 ₱211

-45.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.20 ₱135

-0.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$2.56 ₱157

-27.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$2.57 ₱157

-13.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.93 ₱57.2

15.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.77 ₱47.19

41.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$3.21 ₱196

30.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$5.00 ₱306

108.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$0.93 ₱57.2

78.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.34 ₱143

11.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.26 ₱15.85

107.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.86 ₱52.9

258.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.23 ₱14.06

943.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$2.69 ₱165

16.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.09 ₱66.6

20.18%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$30.6K ₱1.9M

-2.61%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$27.3K ₱1.7M

-14.66%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$98.8 ₱6,049

-17.75%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$33.97 ₱2,080

-33.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$29.85 ₱1,827

0.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$33.77 ₱2,067

56.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$4.40 ₱269

317.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$1.72 ₱105

186.05%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$232 ₱14.2K

-13.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,918 ₱239.8K

32.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$45.61 ₱2,792

-21.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$22.81 ₱1,396

75.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$76.1 ₱4,657

4.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$54.6 ₱3,344

58.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$263 ₱16.1K

271.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$179 ₱11.0K

162.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$591 ₱36.2K

179.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$400 ₱24.5K

200.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$2,618 ₱160.2K

51.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,097 ₱67.2K

502.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$115 ₱7,038

488.53%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bayawan City: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $263 in Bayawan City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 489% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $24.00 in Bayawan City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $233 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 59% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $791 including rent). Bayawan City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 489% 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $263 in Bayawan City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $232 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $791 in Bayawan City versus $1,260 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 59% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.