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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $307 in Bhilai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $503 in Bhilai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $698 in Bhilai.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 322% more expensive than Bhilai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Bhilai 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.60 ₹248

351.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$8.24 ₹785

405.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$3.25 ₹310

227.38%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.81 ₹172

94.48%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.28 ₹26.61

439.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.21 ₹20.30

361.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.52 ₹145

94.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.10 ₹296

43.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$0.67 ₹64.2

105.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.32 ₹30.60

490.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.68 ₹64.9

141.18%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$0.93 ₹88.2

169.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.60 ₹439

81.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$2.76 ₹262

202.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.13 ₹203

22.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$0.56 ₹53.1

160.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$0.61 ₹58.0

211.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$0.43 ₹40.48

383.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.39 ₹37.20

356.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.47 ₹44.74

365.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.24 ₹22.87

333.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.27 ₹25.66

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.35 ₹224

73.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$4.62 ₹440

123.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$0.95 ₹90.5

80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.30 ₹219

12.17%

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

$4.09 ₹390

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.24 ₹22.99

112.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$2.95 ₹281

796.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.14 ₹108

185.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.24 ₹22.89

937.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$1.73 ₹165

87.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.18 ₹112

11.02%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$11.7K ₹1.1M

159.10%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$19.8K ₹1.9M

18.22%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$23.59 ₹2,247

251.29%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$3.76 ₹358

490.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$6.08 ₹579

382.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$3.40 ₹324

1418.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$6.83 ₹651

168.23%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$1.70 ₹162

198.24%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$57.1 ₹5,440

251.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$1,503 ₹143.2K

246.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$17.31 ₹1,649

113.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$17.68 ₹1,684

125.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$17.11 ₹1,630

358.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$27.43 ₹2,613

217.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$124 ₹11.8K

685.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$68.9 ₹6,561

579.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$271 ₹25.8K

505.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$179 ₹17.0K

582.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$647 ₹61.6K

2.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

42.75%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Bhilai: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $124 in Bhilai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 3% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $8.00 in Bhilai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $87.0 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 322% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $307 including rent). Bhilai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 3% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $124 in Bhilai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $57.1 in Bhilai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 185% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $307 in Bhilai versus $1,297 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 322% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.