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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $649 in Bentota.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $865 in Bentota.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,081 in Bentota.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 94% more expensive than in Bentota, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bentota 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$4.11 LKR 1,381

185.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$13.59 LKR 4,559

208.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$8.44 LKR 2,831

24.53%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.66 LKR 891

34.96%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.73 LKR 246

106.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.38 LKR 127

142.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.38 LKR 797

24.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.32 LKR 1,113

32.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.78 LKR 597

-21.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.53 LKR 178

254.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$0.81 LKR 272

92.59%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.22 LKR 745

17.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$13.88 LKR 4,657

-40.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.75 LKR 1,259

122.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$5.08 LKR 1,704

113.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$7.50 LKR 2,517

-63.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$0.87 LKR 291

73.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$5.89 LKR 1,975

-68.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.03 LKR 345

112.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.15 LKR 387

61.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.41 LKR 472

58.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.20 LKR 404

-10.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.56 LKR 189

94.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$10.10 LKR 3,388

-58.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$12.86 LKR 4,315

-18.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.01 LKR 675

-17.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.95 LKR 990

-11.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.20 LKR 68.5

170.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.41 LKR 139

651.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.35 LKR 119

585.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$0.58 LKR 194

439.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.24 LKR 417

5.65%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$26.3K LKR 8.8M

13.53%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$34.1K LKR 11.5M

-31.69%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$61.1 LKR 20.5K

33.03%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$2.49 LKR 834

806.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$9.93 LKR 3,332

202.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$3.40 LKR 1,142

44.71%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$36.38 LKR 12.2K

451.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$439 LKR 147.4K

1078.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$27.79 LKR 9,326

29.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$19.16 LKR 6,430

109.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$69.0 LKR 23.2K

15.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$38.05 LKR 12.8K

127.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$241 LKR 80.9K

305.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$153 LKR 51.4K

207.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

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

16.45

-30.58%

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 Bentota: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $241 in Bentota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $14.00 in Bentota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $242 per month, with Bentota 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 Bentota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bentota is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $974 in Bentota 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $241 in Bentota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $649 in Bentota – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $649 in Bentota versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bentota but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bentota the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bentota is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Bentota gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.