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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $350 in Bhairab Bazar, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $578 in Bhairab Bazar, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $807 in Bhairab Bazar, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 263% 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

$11.87 MX$204

$1.68 ৳206

606.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$15.03 ৳1,842

185.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.47 ৳915

42.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.80 ৳711

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 ৳509

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.69 ৳207

104.14%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.39 ৳47.21

284.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.16 ৳20.13

493.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.77 ৳94.4

79.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.63 ৳77.0

193.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.62 ৳75.8

159.68%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.16 ৳142

123.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$9.01 ৳1,104

-8.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$1.63 ৳200

413.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$7.44 ৳912

43.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.21 ৳270

19.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.99 ৳122

50.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.11 ৳259

-9.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.85 ৳105

145.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.48 ৳58.7

287.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.91 ৳111

148.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.37 ৳45.80

186.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.25 ৳30.56

336.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.96 ৳1,098

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ৳103

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ৳184

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.82 ৳346

47.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.20 ৳24.46

170.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$10.29 ৳1,261

161.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.83 ৳102

277.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.26 ৳31.89

865.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.40 ৳294

31.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.06 ৳129

19.81%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$33.3K ৳4.1M

-8.87%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$34.7K ৳4.2M

-32.02%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$23.12 ৳2,834

259.00%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$5.75 ৳704

294.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$13.05 ৳1,599

125.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$13.51 ৳1,656

277.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$11.57 ৳1,418

58.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.27 ৳400

50.76%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$29.57 ৳3,623

567.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$1,342 ৳164.5K

293.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$20.82 ৳2,551

77.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$18.48 ৳2,264

115.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$52.8 ৳6,476

51.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$33.57 ৳4,114

166.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$70.5 ৳8,640

1256.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$42.65 ৳5,226

1018.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$162 ৳19.9K

915.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$97.2 ৳11.9K

1160.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$763 ৳93.5K

413.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bhairab Bazar: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $70.5 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $15.00 in Bhairab Bazar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 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 263%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $524 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 $1,271 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 $1,271. 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.