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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $609 in Bel Air.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,009 in Bel Air.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,410 in Bel Air.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 108% more expensive than in Bel Air, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Bel Air 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$5.71 MUR 271

103.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$38.67 MUR 1,837

21.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$7.22 MUR 343

64.54%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$1.08 MUR 51.5

268.52%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.08 MUR 51.3

32.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.58 MUR 27.64

41.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$1.56 MUR 74.2

104.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.09 MUR 147

119.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.56 MUR 73.9

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.78 MUR 37.18

182.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.11 MUR 52.7

54.05%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.58 MUR 122

6.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$5.46 MUR 259

75.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.47 MUR 307

39.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$11.27 MUR 535

13.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.74 MUR 130

5.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.61 MUR 124

-42.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.40 MUR 66.6

53.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$2.91 MUR 138

-22.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$1.00 MUR 47.49

98.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.99 MUR 47.14

101.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.69 MUR 32.86

78.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.91 MUR 43.37

31.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$6.32 MUR 300

-28.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$8.34 MUR 396

24.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.69 MUR 80.3

-4.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.32 MUR 110

24.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$4.34 MUR 206

24.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$3.14 MUR 149

18.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$21.29 MUR 1,011

-72.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.35 MUR 63.9

14.07%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$37.1K MUR 1.8M

-39.30%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$31.1K MUR 1.5M

-16.28%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$45.51 MUR 2,162

100.79%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$10.67 MUR 507

136.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$29.21 MUR 1,388

6.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$6.48 MUR 308

-25.00%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$129 MUR 6,114

73.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$7,597 MUR 360.9K

-44.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$77.1 MUR 3,664

-38.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$74.4 MUR 3,533

-40.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$119 MUR 5,668

-32.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$78.5 MUR 3,726

18.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

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: September 12, 2026

Last update for Bel Air: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Bel Air for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $219 per month, with Bel Air 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 Bel Air: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bel Air wins on cost – living expenses run 108% 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.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $913 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $609 in Bel Air – a 108% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $609 in Bel Air versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 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.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bel Air delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $609 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bel Air hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Bel Air are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bel Air gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.