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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $324 in Bhilai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $554 in Bhilai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $785 in Bhilai.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 299% more expensive than in Bhilai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Bhilai 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$2.65 ₹250

341.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$8.71 ₹823

434.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$3.17 ₹299

267.51%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$1.88 ₹178

117.55%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.31 ₹29.53

341.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.19 ₹17.65

336.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$1.60 ₹151

109.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.91 ₹275

137.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$0.56 ₹53.0

208.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$0.38 ₹36.16

494.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$0.61 ₹57.3

190.16%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$1.00 ₹94.9

173.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$4.16 ₹393

120.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$2.76 ₹260

223.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$2.39 ₹226

26.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$0.54 ₹50.7

190.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$0.89 ₹84.2

139.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$0.44 ₹41.93

413.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$0.35 ₹33.50

471.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$0.45 ₹42.17

357.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.27 ₹25.75

337.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.29 ₹27.25

313.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$4.98 ₹470

-7.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$4.84 ₹457

120.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$1.75 ₹165

-7.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$2.70 ₹255

6.67%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$3.88 ₹367

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.35 ₹33.52

62.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$6.76 ₹639

341.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$1.04 ₹97.8

424.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.22 ₹20.83

1581.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$1.87 ₹177

219.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$1.07 ₹101

44.86%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$11.8K ₹1.1M

89.74%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$18.1K ₹1.7M

43.03%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$31.55 ₹2,980

182.50%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$3.17 ₹300

689.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$5.02 ₹474

527.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

$6.67 ₹630

916.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$3.08 ₹291

838.96%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$3.45 ₹326

46.38%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$82.8 ₹7,826

171.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$1,053 ₹99.5K

301.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$23.28 ₹2,199

103.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$29.05 ₹2,745

54.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$23.89 ₹2,257

243.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$23.59 ₹2,228

290.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$73.1 ₹6,903

1363.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

$57.5 ₹5,430

605.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$260 ₹24.5K

645.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$209 ₹19.7K

523.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$653 ₹61.7K

14.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

7.5

52.67%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Bhilai: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $73.1 in Bhilai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 15% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $9.00 in Bhilai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $93.0 per month, with Bhilai 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 Bhilai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Bhilai differ by about 299% in total monthly costs ($1,293 vs $324 including rent). Bhilai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $73.1 in Bhilai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $82.8 in Bhilai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 196% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $324 in Bhilai versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bhilai but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bhilai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Bhilai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 299% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.