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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,024 in Bel Air.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,704 in Bel Air.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,384 in Bel Air.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 24% more expensive than Bel Air, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bel Air 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$6.77 MUR 319

75.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$43.15 MUR 2,032

-0.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.04 MUR 331

51.28%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.07 MUR 50.5

222.43%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.02 MUR 48.09

47.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.57 MUR 26.70

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.62 MUR 76.2

87.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.29 MUR 155

40.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.68 MUR 79.0

-17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.71 MUR 33.40

160.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.32 MUR 62.2

21.97%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.27 MUR 107

14.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$12.09 MUR 569

-31.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.16 MUR 290

35.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$12.62 MUR 594

-15.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.00 MUR 94.4

31.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.95 MUR 91.7

-23.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.44 MUR 67.8

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.72 MUR 128

-23.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.98 MUR 46.16

89.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.98 MUR 46.15

130.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.85 MUR 40.16

24.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.76 MUR 35.80

43.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$6.44 MUR 303

-35.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.41 MUR 396

23.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.73 MUR 81.4

-0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.22 MUR 105

17.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.00 MUR 46.89

-46.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$4.53 MUR 213

-30.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.71 MUR 128

-7.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$19.43 MUR 915

-83.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.40 MUR 65.8

-9.29%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$36.0K MUR 1.7M

-15.73%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$28.5K MUR 1.3M

-17.19%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$49.86 MUR 2,348

66.47%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$18.10 MUR 852

25.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$34.01 MUR 1,602

-13.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$38.76 MUR 1,825

31.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.10 MUR 287

-19.18%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$156 MUR 7,364

26.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,956 MUR 186.3K

33.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$85.9 MUR 4,045

-57.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$81.0 MUR 3,815

-50.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$130 MUR 6,105

-38.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$94.0 MUR 4,425

-4.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$518 MUR 24.4K

84.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$348 MUR 16.4K

37.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$954 MUR 44.9K

72.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$724 MUR 34.1K

69.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bel Air: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $518 in Bel Air. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $43.00 in Bel Air. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $232, 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 24% 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 $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,536 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $518 in Bel Air. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,024 in Bel Air – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,024 in Bel Air versus $1,271 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 $1,024 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 24% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.