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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $348 in Bhairab Bazar, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $586 in Bhairab Bazar, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $823 in Bhairab Bazar, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 269% 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 4% lower, Bhairab Bazar 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$1.61 ৳199

641.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$14.75 ৳1,815

189.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$7.55 ৳928

40.26%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 ৳691

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 ৳501

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$1.67 ৳206

116.77%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.35 ৳43.67

320.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.14 ৳17.73

571.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$0.79 ৳97.0

81.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.59 ৳72.0

218.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$0.64 ৳78.9

154.69%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$1.16 ৳143

127.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$9.28 ৳1,142

-11.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$1.66 ৳205

399.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$7.28 ৳896

52.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$2.21 ৳272

19.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$0.96 ৳118

56.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$2.06 ৳253

-3.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$0.85 ৳105

144.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$0.47 ৳58.2

280.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$0.91 ৳112

139.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.38 ৳46.38

184.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.25 ৳30.57

316.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.50 ৳1,046

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ৳104

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ৳178

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$2.82 ৳346

40.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.20 ৳24.58

160.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$10.22 ৳1,257

163.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$0.84 ৳103

273.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.24 ৳29.43

900.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$2.45 ৳301

26.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.04 ৳128

22.12%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$32.8K ৳4.0M

-5.70%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$33.4K ৳4.1M

-30.20%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$22.38 ৳2,753

266.44%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$5.71 ৳702

293.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$13.10 ৳1,612

126.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$13.36 ৳1,644

288.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$11.89 ৳1,464

57.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$3.25 ৳400

52.92%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$29.38 ৳3,615

573.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$1,376 ৳169.3K

283.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$20.33 ৳2,501

78.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$18.43 ৳2,267

117.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$50.9 ৳6,261

57.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$33.81 ৳4,160

162.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$70.6 ৳8,685

1264.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$42.04 ৳5,173

1005.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$167 ৳20.5K

856.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$95.5 ৳11.8K

1165.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$637 ৳78.4K

518.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$435 ৳53.5K

1381.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Bhairab Bazar: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $70.6 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $15.00 in Bhairab Bazar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 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 269%, 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $523 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 $43.00 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $348 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 $348, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.