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 $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $729 in Berkane, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,139 in Berkane, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,084 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,549 in Berkane, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 78% more than Berkane, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Berkane are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Berkane 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$4.03 MAD 37.27

191.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$23.45 MAD 217

78.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$6.69 MAD 61.8

55.61%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$1.73 MAD 16.01

108.67%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$0.63 MAD 5.78

131.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.35 MAD 3.27

177.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$3.81 MAD 35.19

-23.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$3.61 MAD 33.35

27.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$0.90 MAD 8.27

58.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$0.53 MAD 4.94

258.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.72 MAD 15.89

-8.72%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$2.01 MAD 18.53

31.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$9.88 MAD 91.3

-14.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$5.97 MAD 55.1

43.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$10.95 MAD 101

0.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$1.33 MAD 12.31

103.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.34 MAD 12.38

12.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$0.77 MAD 7.14

148.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$0.86 MAD 7.94

152.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$0.72 MAD 6.66

159.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$0.75 MAD 6.93

197.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.39 MAD 3.64

176.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.64 MAD 5.87

67.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$4.13 MAD 38.11

0.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$8.27 MAD 76.4

24.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$2.70 MAD 24.98

-37.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.76 MAD 25.51

-8.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.47 MAD 4.39

17.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$16.52 MAD 153

59.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$0.58 MAD 5.37

451.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$0.52 MAD 4.83

373.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$4.45 MAD 41.11

-28.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.60 MAD 14.79

-17.50%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$37.9K MAD 350.0K

-20.41%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$29.7K MAD 274.7K

-21.31%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$35.47 MAD 328

129.35%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$10.83 MAD 100

106.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$39.42 MAD 364

-23.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$24.30 MAD 225

112.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$23.24 MAD 215

-20.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$6.75 MAD 62.4

-23.56%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$107 MAD 992

87.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$3,566 MAD 32.9K

48.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$38.24 MAD 353

-6.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$40.99 MAD 379

-1.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$88.1 MAD 814

-10.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$72.3 MAD 668

20.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$282 MAD 2,603

237.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$177 MAD 1,637

169.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$499 MAD 4,610

224.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$304 MAD 2,804

302.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$1,479 MAD 13.7K

171.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$1,025 MAD 9,470

531.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$281 MAD 2,591

139.90%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Berkane: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $282 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 140% 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 $23.00 in Berkane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 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 78%, 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 $1,941 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,093 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 $23.00 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 $1,294 in Playa del Carmen and $729 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 $729, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,294. 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.