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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $724 in Berkane, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,128 in Berkane, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,532 in Berkane, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 74% more than Berkane, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Berkane are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Berkane 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$4.16 MAD 38.76

181.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$23.56 MAD 220

77.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.69 MAD 62.4

57.10%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.66 MAD 15.49

116.27%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.58 MAD 5.43

160.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.33 MAD 3.05

178.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$3.93 MAD 36.68

-24.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.58 MAD 33.35

23.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$0.87 MAD 8.14

60.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.49 MAD 4.62

283.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.78 MAD 16.59

-12.36%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.94 MAD 18.09

34.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$10.17 MAD 94.8

-18.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.95 MAD 55.4

40.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$11.23 MAD 105

-3.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.35 MAD 12.61

100.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.34 MAD 12.52

12.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$0.77 MAD 7.17

142.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.85 MAD 7.93

157.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.68 MAD 6.31

173.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.76 MAD 7.09

193.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.42 MAD 3.94

154.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.58 MAD 5.41

87.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$4.13 MAD 38.54

1.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$8.09 MAD 75.4

28.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.73 MAD 25.41

-39.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.73 MAD 25.49

-4.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.48 MAD 4.43

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$16.20 MAD 151

61.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.59 MAD 5.48

422.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.52 MAD 4.84

361.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$4.51 MAD 42.02

-30.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.52 MAD 14.21

-13.82%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$37.4K MAD 348.6K

-20.28%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$29.6K MAD 275.7K

-21.12%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$36.15 MAD 337

124.84%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$11.10 MAD 104

103.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$39.77 MAD 371

-24.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$24.86 MAD 232

112.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$23.16 MAD 216

-20.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.70 MAD 62.5

-26.57%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$107 MAD 999

87.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,514 MAD 32.8K

47.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$39.25 MAD 366

-8.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$40.38 MAD 377

-0.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$86.1 MAD 803

-7.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$70.2 MAD 655

23.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$281 MAD 2,619

248.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$174 MAD 1,619

170.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$505 MAD 4,713

226.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$304 MAD 2,838

295.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,272 MAD 11.9K

210.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$986 MAD 9,193

570.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$281 MAD 2,621

140.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.78

138.91%

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 Berkane: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $281 in Berkane. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 141% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $24.00 in Berkane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $192 – making Berkane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Berkane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 74%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,086 in Berkane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Berkane, 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 $24.00 in Berkane. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $724 in Berkane. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Berkane, where all-in costs run around $724, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Berkane it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Berkane – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Berkane. 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.