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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,159 in Bellville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,822 in Bellville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,485 in Bellville.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 13% more expensive than in Bellville, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bellville 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$202

$12.60 R 202

-5.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$801

$24.52 R 392

93.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$5.86 R 93.7

100.51%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$69.7

$2.03 R 32.49

102.96%

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

$1.40 MX$23.66

$1.36 R 21.75

2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.43

$1.05 R 16.79

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.2

$2.35 R 37.61

36.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.67 R 58.7

92.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.35

$1.41 R 22.63

19.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.36

$1.32 R 21.09

62.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.00

$2.23 R 35.73

-20.63%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.60

$3.08 R 49.24

-8.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$9.11 R 146

0.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$156

$7.31 R 117

26.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$9.54 R 153

32.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.90

$2.00 R 31.96

47.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.70

$2.00 R 31.98

-21.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.58

$1.81 R 28.96

22.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$39.96

$2.22 R 35.45

6.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.70

$1.57 R 25.18

26.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.47

$1.54 R 24.63

28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$20.97

$1.35 R 21.54

-8.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.48

$1.17 R 18.67

3.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$77.8

$3.74 R 59.8

22.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$6.13 R 98.1

71.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.60

$1.39 R 22.18

21.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$46.91

$2.30 R 36.73

20.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.19

$1.48 R 23.72

-59.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$502

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.5

$0.61 R 9.82

759.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.7

$1.55 R 24.74

135.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.8

$5.25 R 83.9

10.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.01

$1.57 R 25.16

-1.91%

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

$22.8K MX$385.5K

$37.5K R 599.5K

-39.14%

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

$25.8K MX$436.5K

$33.0K R 527.2K

-21.66%

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

$90.7 MX$1,533

$120 R 1,919

-24.40%

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

$25.19 MX$426

$31.97 R 511

-21.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$537

$40.77 R 652

-22.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,163

$38.21 R 611

80.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$497

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.2

$9.45 R 151

-48.57%

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

$226 MX$3,816

$276 R 4,412

-18.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$70.9K

$6,807 R 108.9K

-38.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$801

$58.0 R 928

-18.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$735

$33.27 R 532

30.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,356

$121 R 1,942

-33.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,545

$110 R 1,766

-17.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$416 R 6,663

160.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,910

$424 R 6,792

-3.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.3K

$810 R 13.0K

143.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$782 R 12.5K

63.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.4K

$814 R 13.0K

397.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.4K

$612 R 9,791

995.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.02

3.90%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bellville: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $416 in Bellville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Bellville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $232 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 13% 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 $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,739 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $416 in Bellville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,159 in Bellville – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,159 in Bellville versus $1,305 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 $1,159 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 13% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.