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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $988 in Benares, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,582 in Benares, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,177 in Benares, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 29% more than Benares, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Benares are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Benares 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$6.41 MUR 302

85.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$44.06 MUR 2,075

-2.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.51 MUR 307

63.59%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.65 MUR 125

30.19%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.01 MUR 47.71

48.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.56 MUR 26.17

69.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.15 MUR 101

40.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.76 MUR 130

67.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.49 MUR 70.3

-7.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.66 MUR 31.30

180.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.33 MUR 62.7

21.05%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.34 MUR 110

10.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$9.70 MUR 457

-14.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.09 MUR 287

37.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.65 MUR 501

0.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.98 MUR 93.1

32.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.98 MUR 93.1

-24.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.45 MUR 68.3

32.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.61 MUR 123

-19.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.01 MUR 47.74

84.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.95 MUR 44.92

137.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.86 MUR 40.43

23.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.52 MUR 24.69

109.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$5.92 MUR 279

-29.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$9.62 MUR 453

8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.74 MUR 82.2

-1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.10 MUR 99.1

24.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.01 MUR 47.46

-46.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$4.43 MUR 209

-29.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.65 MUR 125

-5.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$15.59 MUR 734

-79.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.45 MUR 68.3

-12.41%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$36.1K MUR 1.7M

-15.78%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

-18.32%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$48.72 MUR 2,294

70.36%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$18.00 MUR 848

26.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$32.52 MUR 1,532

-9.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$37.81 MUR 1,781

34.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.96 MUR 281

-17.28%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$154 MUR 7,261

27.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,916 MUR 184.4K

34.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$49.65 MUR 2,338

-25.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$44.37 MUR 2,089

-10.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$83.5 MUR 3,934

-4.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$78.3 MUR 3,688

14.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$511 MUR 24.1K

87.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$355 MUR 16.7K

34.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$935 MUR 44.0K

76.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$724 MUR 34.1K

69.17%

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

6.25

82.72%

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 Benares: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $511 in Benares. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $44.00 in Benares. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $215 in Benares – so Benares wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Benares: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $988 in Benares – roughly 29% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,481 in Benares. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Benares, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $44.00 in Benares. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Benares, where all-in costs run around $988, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Benares it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $988 in Benares to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Benares. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.