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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,059 in Bel Air.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,704 in Bel Air.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,350 in Bel Air.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 19% more expensive than in Bel Air, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bel Air 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$6.80 MUR 318

72.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$44.54 MUR 2,086

-5.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.01 MUR 328

49.93%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.13 MUR 53.0

217.70%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.00 MUR 46.94

51.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.56 MUR 26.03

64.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.61 MUR 75.3

83.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.35 MUR 157

31.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.70 MUR 79.5

-17.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.65 MUR 30.55

189.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.33 MUR 62.1

17.29%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.26 MUR 106

15.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$12.09 MUR 566

-31.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.01 MUR 282

38.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$12.40 MUR 581

-12.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.00 MUR 93.7

35.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.02 MUR 94.4

-25.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.43 MUR 67.1

30.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.73 MUR 128

-19.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.99 MUR 46.60

87.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.00 MUR 47.03

123.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.81 MUR 37.74

32.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.80 MUR 37.65

36.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$6.57 MUR 308

-36.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$8.28 MUR 388

25.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.73 MUR 80.9

-4.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.26 MUR 106

15.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.03 MUR 48.32

-47.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$4.38 MUR 205

-29.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.61 MUR 122

-8.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$19.94 MUR 934

-84.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.40 MUR 65.6

-6.43%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$36.1K MUR 1.7M

-17.40%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$28.3K MUR 1.3M

-17.69%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$48.67 MUR 2,280

67.00%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$18.13 MUR 849

24.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$34.21 MUR 1,602

-12.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$38.64 MUR 1,810

36.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.11 MUR 286

-19.48%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$155 MUR 7,278

29.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,926 MUR 183.9K

31.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$83.9 MUR 3,928

-57.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$80.9 MUR 3,791

-50.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$134 MUR 6,277

-40.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$93.9 MUR 4,400

-7.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$516 MUR 24.2K

89.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$358 MUR 16.8K

31.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$940 MUR 44.0K

75.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$733 MUR 34.3K

64.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.67

71.21%

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 Bel Air: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $516 in Bel Air. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $45.00 in Bel Air. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $230, with Bel Air cheaper for home cooking.

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 19% 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 $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,588 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $516 in Bel Air. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,059 in Bel Air – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,059 in Bel Air versus $1,260 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 $1,059 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 19% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.