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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $626 in Bel Ombre.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,044 in Bel Ombre.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,462 in Bel Ombre.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 102% more expensive than in Bel Ombre, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Bel Ombre 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$5.77 MUR 274

101.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$37.89 MUR 1,800

24.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$7.31 MUR 347

62.52%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.60 MUR 123

53.08%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.14 MUR 54.2

25.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.62 MUR 29.61

32.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.68 MUR 127

19.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.84 MUR 230

40.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.56 MUR 74.3

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.74 MUR 35.23

197.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.11 MUR 52.9

54.05%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.61 MUR 124

4.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$5.20 MUR 247

84.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.55 MUR 311

37.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$11.35 MUR 539

12.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.77 MUR 132

4.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.72 MUR 129

-44.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.44 MUR 68.2

49.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$2.94 MUR 140

-23.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.95 MUR 44.94

108.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.94 MUR 44.71

111.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.69 MUR 32.72

78.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.92 MUR 43.84

30.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$6.53 MUR 310

-30.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$8.31 MUR 395

24.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.72 MUR 81.7

-5.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.34 MUR 111

23.08%

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

$4.26 MUR 202

26.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$3.25 MUR 155

14.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$21.33 MUR 1,013

-72.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.38 MUR 65.6

11.59%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$36.4K MUR 1.7M

-38.02%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$30.6K MUR 1.5M

-14.90%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$44.32 MUR 2,105

106.18%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$10.40 MUR 494

142.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$28.97 MUR 1,376

7.84%

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

$6.30 MUR 299

-22.86%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$126 MUR 5,992

77.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$7,766 MUR 368.9K

-45.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$77.4 MUR 3,675

-39.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$75.4 MUR 3,581

-41.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$121 MUR 5,757

-33.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$76.6 MUR 3,639

20.97%

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 Ombre: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $38.00 in Bel Ombre for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $219 per month, with Bel Ombre 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 Ombre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bel Ombre wins on cost – living expenses run 102% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bel Ombre the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $938 in Bel Ombre 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.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $126 in Bel Ombre. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bel Ombre – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $626 in Bel Ombre versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bel Ombre but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bel Ombre the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bel Ombre delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $626 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bel Ombre hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Bel Ombre 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 Ombre gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.