Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bel Air, Mauritius

For one person, living is cheaper in Bel Air: $596 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Bel Air, Mauritius
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Bel Air
🇲🇺 Mauritius
$596
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Bel Air

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $596 in Bel Air.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Bel Air $596

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,005 in Bel Air.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Bel Air $1,005

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,415 in Bel Air.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Bel Air $1,415

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 102% more expensive than in Bel Air, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Bel Air 56% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Bel Air
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$5.67 MUR 264
92.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$813
$38.57 MUR 1,797
12.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$7.51 MUR 350
56.86%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.4
$1.08 MUR 50.4
252.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.03
$1.03 MUR 48.03
24.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.67
$0.59 MUR 27.71
32.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.3
$1.60 MUR 74.5
98.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.5
$3.09 MUR 144
59.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Bel Air
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.35
$1.59 MUR 74.2
-11.32%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.54
$0.74 MUR 34.61
200.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.56
$1.10 MUR 51.1
29.09%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.27
$2.59 MUR 121
-2.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$136
$5.17 MUR 241
40.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$144
$6.31 MUR 294
22.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$238
$11.38 MUR 530
11.51%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.2
$2.77 MUR 129
0.36%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.64
$2.57 MUR 120
-46.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.80
$1.41 MUR 65.6
80.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.78
$3.04 MUR 142
-30.26%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.32
$1.00 MUR 46.65
94.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.34
$1.02 MUR 47.68
85.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.49
$0.69 MUR 32.26
66.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.09
$0.86 MUR 39.87
37.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.5
$6.62 MUR 308
-35.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$186
$8.43 MUR 393
18.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.67
$1.72 MUR 79.9
-8.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.1
$2.27 MUR 106
17.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Bel Air
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.37
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$499
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.1
$4.19 MUR 195
18.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.4
$3.23 MUR 150
3.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$100
$21.07 MUR 982
-74.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.06
$1.36 MUR 63.4
5.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$387.3K
$36.5K MUR 1.7M
-43.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$439.7K
$30.7K MUR 1.4M
-23.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Bel Air
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,589
$45.82 MUR 2,135
85.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$439
$10.71 MUR 499
118.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$537
$29.24 MUR 1,362
-1.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Bel Air
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,069
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$542
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.3
$6.20 MUR 289
-17.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Bel Air
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,871
$130 MUR 6,047
59.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.6K
$7,780 MUR 362.4K
-49.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Bel Air
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$812
$78.5 MUR 3,655
-44.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$777
$73.4 MUR 3,417
-43.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,390
$122 MUR 5,695
-39.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,672
$77.1 MUR 3,590
15.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Bel Air
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,136
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.1K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.4K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Bel Air
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
6.67
71.66%

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 Bel Air: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Bel Air
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Bel Air
$218 14.6% $37
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Bel Air
$102 49.8% $101
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Bel Air
$86 37.3% $51
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Bel Air
$158 41.4% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Bel Air
$12 * 81.6% $55
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Bel Air
$20 * 59.7% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $39 in Bel Air for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $218 per month, with Bel Air cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇲🇺 Bel Air
🕒 Local time
16:30 4:30 PM
01:30 1:30 AM
9 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
17,600
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 46.58 MUR (100 MUR = 2.15 USD). 1 EUR = 52.21 MUR (100 MUR = 1.92 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Bel Air 16,360 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Bel Air

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 Bel Air: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Playa del Carmen or Bel Air?
Bel Air wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bel Air the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Playa del Carmen and in Bel Air?
You’d need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $893 in Bel Air 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.
Are groceries more expensive in Playa del Carmen or in Bel Air?
Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Playa del Carmen compared to Bel Air?
All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $596 in Bel Air – Bel Air is about 51% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $800/month in Playa del Carmen or in Bel Air?
At $596 in Bel Air versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $800 budget is realistic in Bel Air but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bel Air the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Playa del Carmen or Bel Air?
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.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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