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 $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $358 in Bhairab Bazar, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $589 in Bhairab Bazar, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $819 in Bhairab Bazar, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 265% more than Bhairab Bazar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

$11.96 MX$203

$2.00 ৳246

498.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$12.15 ৳1,493

289.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$5.43 ৳667

116.39%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 ৳320

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.1

$1.99 ৳245

107.04%

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

$1.40 MX$23.78

$0.37 ৳45.20

278.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$0.14 ৳17.34

550.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.49

$0.79 ৳97.4

112.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$0.60 ৳73.3

258.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$0.67 ৳82.7

164.18%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.83

$1.17 ৳144

141.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$7.47 ৳917

23.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$2.11 ৳259

337.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$7.52 ৳924

68.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.33 ৳287

26.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.83

$0.89 ৳110

77.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$2.02 ৳248

9.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.15

$0.88 ৳108

168.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.86

$0.47 ৳57.8

323.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.63

$0.85 ৳104

132.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$0.50 ৳61.6

148.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$0.31 ৳37.85

290.32%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.70 ৳1,069

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ৳104

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ৳184

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$2.93 ৳359

57.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.24

$0.43 ৳52.3

39.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$0.77 ৳95.2

580.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

$0.59 ৳72.5

518.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$4.09 ৳503

41.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$1.07 ৳131

43.93%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$32.9K ৳4.0M

-30.77%

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

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$43.9K ৳5.4M

-41.26%

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

$90.7 MX$1,540

$29.79 ৳3,660

204.36%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$5.65 ৳694

345.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$12.35 ৳1,517

157.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

$13.42 ৳1,649

412.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$3.59 ৳441

35.38%

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

$226 MX$3,834

$36.31 ৳4,460

521.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$1,454 ৳178.6K

188.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$23.07 ৳2,834

105.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

$19.88 ৳2,443

118.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$56.9 ৳6,992

40.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$34.23 ৳4,205

166.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$87.7 ৳10.8K

1137.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,943

$50.8 ৳6,235

705.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$168 ৳20.7K

1070.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

$116 ৳14.2K

1006.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

$696 ৳85.5K

481.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.5

-0.43%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bhairab Bazar: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $87.7 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $12.00 in Bhairab Bazar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $115 – 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 265%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $537 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $358 in Bhairab Bazar. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $36.31 in Bhairab Bazar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bhairab Bazar, where all-in costs run around $358, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. 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.