Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bhairab Bazar Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bhairab Bazar

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $350 in Bhairab Bazar, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $579 in Bhairab Bazar, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $807 in Bhairab Bazar, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 260% more than Bhairab Bazar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Bhairab Bazar are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bhairab Bazar 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$1.61 ৳199

627.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$727

$15.06 ৳1,862

178.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.28 ৳899

44.37%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.82 ৳719

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.21 ৳521

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.2

$1.65 ৳204

117.58%

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

$1.51 MX$26.16

$0.38 ৳47.51

297.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.87

$0.14 ৳17.63

557.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.21

$0.79 ৳97.3

77.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.68

$0.57 ৳70.5

229.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.03

$0.65 ৳79.8

140.00%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.25

$1.17 ৳145

123.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$9.07 ৳1,121

-8.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$1.70 ৳210

391.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.32 ৳904

48.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.04

$2.17 ৳269

24.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.11

$1.03 ৳127

46.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.49

$2.04 ৳252

-8.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.98

$0.79 ৳98.1

177.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.21

$0.48 ৳58.8

287.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.68

$0.85 ৳106

162.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.53

$0.37 ৳46.16

189.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.84

$0.27 ৳33.68

303.70%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.96 ৳1,107

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ৳99.0

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ৳178

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$2.79 ৳345

50.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$181

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.75

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.30

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.39

$0.20 ৳24.67

170.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$454

$10.24 ৳1,266

155.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.4

$0.84 ৳103

266.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.71

$0.26 ৳32.30

823.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.2

$2.39 ৳296

30.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.74

$1.05 ৳130

24.76%

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

$29.8K MX$517.0K

$33.2K ৳4.1M

-10.10%

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

$23.3K MX$404.5K

$34.1K ৳4.2M

-31.56%

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

$81.3 MX$1,410

$22.39 ৳2,767

263.02%

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

$22.56 MX$391

$5.64 ৳696

300.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$521

$13.08 ৳1,617

129.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$918

$13.66 ৳1,688

287.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$11.70 ৳1,446

57.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.3

$3.37 ৳416

45.99%

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

$201 MX$3,483

$29.77 ৳3,678

574.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.7K

$1,359 ৳167.9K

280.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$623

$20.89 ৳2,582

71.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$696

$18.18 ৳2,247

120.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,382

$52.6 ৳6,500

51.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,500

$34.31 ৳4,240

152.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.0K

$69.5 ৳8,583

1308.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,160

$41.46 ৳5,123

1034.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$165 ৳20.4K

899.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.9K

$95.5 ৳11.8K

1160.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.6K

$612 ৳75.6K

545.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.67

-2.14%

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 Bhairab Bazar: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $69.5 in Bhairab Bazar. 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 $15.00 in Bhairab Bazar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $116 – making Bhairab Bazar 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 Bhairab Bazar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 260%, 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 $525 in Bhairab Bazar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bhairab Bazar, 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 $15.00 in Bhairab Bazar. 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 $350 in Bhairab Bazar. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bhairab Bazar, where all-in costs run around $350, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Bhairab Bazar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Bhairab Bazar. 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.