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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,510 in Besancon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,364 in Besancon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,219 in Besancon.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 16% less than in Besancon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Besancon is 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$16.36 €14.09

-27.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$50.2 €43.26

-14.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$9.55 €8.23

11.52%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.46 €2.98

-0.29%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.29 €1.97

-34.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$1.13 €0.98

-15.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$6.77 €5.83

-55.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.49 €3.87

2.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.06 €0.91

30.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.67 €1.44

10.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.99 €1.72

-19.10%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.73 €3.21

-30.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$17.60 €15.16

-53.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$12.07 €10.40

-30.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$16.48 €14.20

-35.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.86 €2.47

-8.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.03 €1.75

-26.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.25 €1.93

-14.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.50 €2.15

-16.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$2.18 €1.88

-14.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.33 €2.01

-3.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.50 €1.29

-29.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.84 €0.72

29.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$14.57 €12.56

-71.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$9.70 €8.36

7.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.65 €2.28

-35.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.72 €1.48

51.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.84 €1.58

-70.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$50.2 €43.29

-46.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.27 €2.82

-4.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.86 €1.60

34.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$34.70 €29.90

-90.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$2.02 €1.74

-37.13%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$37.2K €32.0K

-18.24%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$39.8K €34.3K

-40.74%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$116 €99.6

-28.21%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$17.28 €14.89

31.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$37.83 €32.59

-22.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$37.08 €31.95

37.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$28.83 €24.84

-36.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$10.26 €8.84

-51.95%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$341 €294

-42.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,985 €6,880

-33.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$63.0 €54.3

-41.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$23.44 €20.20

70.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$88.0 €75.8

-9.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$137 €118

-34.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$542 €467

76.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$499 €430

-4.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$993 €855

65.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$851 €734

43.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$3,012 €2,595

30.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$2,500 €2,154

158.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$2,156 €1,858

-69.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.35

240.90%

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 Besancon: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $542 in Besancon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Besancon pays 223% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $50.0 in Besancon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $324 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Besancon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Besancon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Besancon earns 223% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $542 in Besancon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 86% less than in Besancon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $341 in Besancon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,510 in Besancon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Besancon. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,271 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Besancon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Besancon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.