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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $976 in Benares, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,574 in Benares, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,172 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

$11.72 MX$203

$6.75 MUR 316

73.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$43.23 MUR 2,025

-3.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.52 MUR 305

61.20%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.66 MUR 125

34.96%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.03 MUR 48.37

46.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.56 MUR 26.28

64.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.12 MUR 99.5

39.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.69 MUR 126

63.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.52 MUR 71.1

-7.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.70 MUR 32.97

168.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.28 MUR 60.2

21.88%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.23 MUR 104

17.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$9.70 MUR 454

-14.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.09 MUR 285

37.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$10.35 MUR 485

4.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.97 MUR 92.2

37.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.01 MUR 94.0

-24.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.49 MUR 69.7

25.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.60 MUR 122

-15.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.02 MUR 47.84

82.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.02 MUR 47.65

118.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.81 MUR 37.72

32.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.56 MUR 26.32

94.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$6.12 MUR 286

-31.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$8.22 MUR 385

26.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.81 MUR 84.7

-8.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.17 MUR 102

20.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.00 MUR 46.72

-46.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$4.49 MUR 210

-31.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.61 MUR 122

-8.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$15.48 MUR 725

-79.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.46 MUR 68.4

-10.27%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$35.4K MUR 1.7M

-15.85%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$28.4K MUR 1.3M

-17.98%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$50.4 MUR 2,361

61.24%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$18.43 MUR 863

22.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$31.92 MUR 1,495

-5.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$38.06 MUR 1,783

39.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.14 MUR 287

-19.87%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$155 MUR 7,258

29.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,941 MUR 184.6K

31.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$49.62 MUR 2,324

-27.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$43.59 MUR 2,042

-7.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$80.9 MUR 3,790

-1.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$80.3 MUR 3,759

7.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$520 MUR 24.4K

88.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$353 MUR 16.6K

33.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$939 MUR 44.0K

75.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$726 MUR 34.0K

65.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Benares: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $520 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $43.00 in Benares. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $213 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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, $976 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,464 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $43.00 in Benares. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% 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 $976, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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 $976 in Benares to $1,260 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.