Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Behbahan

For one person, living is cheaper in Behbahan: $525 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Behbahan
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Behbahan Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Behbahan

🇮🇷 Iran

$525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $525 in Behbahan.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Behbahan $525

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $803 in Behbahan.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Behbahan $803

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,082 in Behbahan.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Behbahan $1,082

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 130% more expensive than in Behbahan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Behbahan 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$4.54 $4.54

140.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$12.93 $12.93

235.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$4.04 $4.04

191.58%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 $0.99

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$1.16 $1.16

228.45%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$0.66 $0.66

93.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$0.91 $0.91

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$0.67 $0.67

110.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$0.41 $0.41

441.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$1.98 $1.98

-28.28%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$1.22 $1.22

106.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$2.23 $2.23

225.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$2.22 $2.22

246.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$9.90 $9.90

28.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$1.07 $1.07

159.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$1.61 $1.61

-14.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$0.90 $0.90

183.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$0.58 $0.58

265.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$0.57 $0.57

240.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$0.52 $0.52

263.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$0.51 $0.51

125.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$0.19 $0.19

521.05%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.82 $0.82

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 $0.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$3.04 $3.04

41.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.16 $0.16

243.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$10.17 $10.17

161.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$0.39 $0.39

1174.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$0.22 $0.22

1413.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$3.46 $3.46

54.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$0.08 $0.08

1700.00%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$64.3K $64.3K

-67.89%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$53.8K $53.8K

-56.40%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$24.10 $24.10

251.83%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$2.07 $2.07

1030.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$3.89 $3.89

636.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$20.20 $20.20

182.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$14.77 $14.77

95.73%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$2.01 $2.01

155.72%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$104 $104

99.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$2,406 $2,406

63.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$23.08 $23.08

87.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$18.62 $18.62

122.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$93.5 $93.5

-20.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$54.6 $54.6

63.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$322 $322

204.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$204 $204

86.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$766 $766

122.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$321 $321

234.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$1,027 $1,027

284.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$510 $510

1107.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

24.3

-52.88%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Behbahan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Behbahan

$204 38.9% 46.4% $177

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Behbahan

$100 19% 60.8% $155

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Behbahan

$69 13.1% 66.1% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Behbahan

$30 5.7% 78% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Behbahan

$85 16.3% 23.6% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Behbahan

$24 4.6% 64% $43

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Behbahan

$12 2.3% 75.6% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $322 in Behbahan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $13 in Behbahan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $100 per month, with Behbahan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇷 Behbahan

🕒 Local time

17:58 5:58 PM

02:28 2:28 AM

8 h 30 min ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

122,604

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Behbahan 12,720 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

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Playa del Carmen
Behbahan

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 Behbahan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Behbahan is about 56% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $787 in Behbahan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $322 in Behbahan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $525 in Behbahan – Behbahan is about 56% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Behbahan runs roughly 62% less than in Playa del Carmen. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $525 in Behbahan versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Behbahan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Behbahan 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 Behbahan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.