Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bellville Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bellville

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $917 in Bellville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,416 in Bellville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,914 in Bellville.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 41% more expensive than Bellville, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Bellville 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$10.81 R 176

8.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$22.28 R 362

86.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.97 R 80.7

114.08%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.77 R 28.83

98.87%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.15 R 18.75

31.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.82 R 13.26

18.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.01 R 32.69

46.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.55 R 41.45

74.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.08 R 17.55

27.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.82 R 13.28

130.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.50 R 24.44

9.33%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.50 R 40.68

0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.23 R 68.8

97.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.38 R 71.2

90.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$7.20 R 117

49.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.04 R 16.93

150.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.38 R 22.39

5.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.05 R 17.02

80.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.10 R 17.85

89.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.07 R 17.45

66.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.23 R 20.07

78.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.70 R 11.30

48.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.02 R 16.51

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.54 R 41.26

60.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$6.23 R 101

65.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$0.98 R 15.93

74.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.68 R 27.29

53.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$1.61 R 26.12

-68.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$19.96 R 324

32.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.54 R 8.70

503.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.37 R 5.96

572.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$2.73 R 44.39

19.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.20 R 19.48

9.17%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$21.2K R 344.8K

42.71%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$19.6K R 318.8K

19.45%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$56.5 R 918

46.65%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$32.51 R 528

-31.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$28.06 R 456

4.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$31.66 R 515

63.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$6.70 R 109

-24.33%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$84.4 R 1,372

137.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$5,322 R 86.5K

-2.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$25.12 R 408

46.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$11.38 R 185

249.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$84.8 R 1,379

-7.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$49.44 R 803

76.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$371 R 6,030

162.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$327 R 5,321

42.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$678 R 11.0K

141.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$679 R 11.0K

79.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$766 R 12.5K

414.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$641 R 10.4K

914.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.77

-2.97%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Bellville: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $371 in Bellville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Bellville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $156 per month, with Bellville 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 Bellville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bellville wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bellville the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,375 in Bellville 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $371 in Bellville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bellville – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $917 in Bellville versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bellville but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bellville the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bellville delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $917 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bellville hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Bellville 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 Bellville gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.