Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Belize City Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Belize City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,076 in Belize City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,657 in Belize City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,238 in Belize City.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 17% more expensive than in Belize City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Belize City 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$6.34 BZD 12.67

89.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$39.37 BZD 78.7

6.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.87 BZD 11.75

83.13%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.69 BZD 7.38

-5.15%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.35 BZD 2.70

7.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$1.28 BZD 2.56

-31.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.22 BZD 4.43

32.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.49 BZD 6.98

29.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$3.19 BZD 6.38

-55.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.27 BZD 2.54

44.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$2.24 BZD 4.48

-29.91%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.33 BZD 4.66

7.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$7.17 BZD 14.35

15.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.61 BZD 13.23

27.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$5.58 BZD 11.17

91.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$3.73 BZD 7.46

-30.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.45 BZD 2.91

-0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.09 BZD 4.19

-6.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.99 BZD 5.98

-30.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$2.99 BZD 5.98

-38.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$2.38 BZD 4.77

-8.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$2.16 BZD 4.32

-52.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.86 BZD 1.71

24.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.99 BZD 7.98

2.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$10.09 BZD 20.18

0.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.79 BZD 3.57

-6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$3.26 BZD 6.51

-22.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.97 BZD 3.94

-74.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$20.17 BZD 40.34

29.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$4.09 BZD 8.18

-21.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$3.89 BZD 7.79

-38.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.87 BZD 3.75

-29.41%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$10.5K BZD 21.0K

183.22%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$209 BZD 417

-60.69%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$49.60 BZD 99.2

-53.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$54.1 BZD 108

-44.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$28.19 BZD 56.4

84.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$2.52 BZD 5.04

635.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$8.28 BZD 16.57

-39.86%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$63.7 BZD 127

209.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$681 BZD 1,362

683.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$37.29 BZD 74.6

-4.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$26.98 BZD 54.0

49.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$82.0 BZD 164

-3.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$88.3 BZD 177

0.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$278 BZD 556

240.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$180 BZD 360

163.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$612 BZD 1,225

168.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$353 BZD 705

243.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$197 BZD 394

1959.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$1,231 BZD 2,463

-46.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

13.83

-17.43%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Belize City: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $278 in Belize City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belize City pays 88% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Belize City. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $253, with Playa del Carmen 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 Belize City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belize City wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Belize City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 88% lower in Belize City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $278 in Belize City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Belize City – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,076 in Belize City versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Belize City but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Belize City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Belize City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,076 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Belize City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Belize City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.