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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,044 in Bhisho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,605 in Bhisho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,166 in Bhisho.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 21% more expensive than in Bhisho, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bhisho 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$8.60 R 142

36.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$33.70 R 555

24.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.01 R 82.5

109.78%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.04 R 33.54

75.98%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.98 R 16.21

54.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.82 R 13.49

12.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.20 R 36.26

34.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.55 R 42.05

72.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.11 R 18.27

26.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.05 R 17.34

79.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.57 R 25.91

-0.64%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.39 R 39.28

9.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$7.51 R 124

10.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$4.65 R 76.5

79.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$6.78 R 112

60.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.66 R 27.33

63.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.46 R 24.10

3.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.53 R 25.25

22.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.65 R 27.15

32.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.37 R 22.48

35.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.24 R 20.42

79.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.05 R 17.28

1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.97 R 16.00

12.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.78 R 45.79

50.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$4.90 R 80.7

112.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.37 R 22.57

21.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.72 R 28.37

51.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.60 R 26.42

-66.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$22.46 R 370

16.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.14 R 18.69

170.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.95 R 15.67

152.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$3.98 R 65.6

-21.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.23 R 20.20

6.50%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$21.5K R 353.6K

38.76%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$23.8K R 391.0K

-1.80%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$120 R 1,980

-32.44%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$34.88 R 574

-35.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$41.67 R 686

-27.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$31.63 R 521

67.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$11.07 R 182

66.12%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.61 R 109

-25.57%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$197 R 3,245

1.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$4,416 R 72.7K

17.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$51.2 R 843

-29.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$32.44 R 534

23.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$86.9 R 1,431

-8.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$81.1 R 1,335

6.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$366 R 6,029

167.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$337 R 5,555

39.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$694 R 11.4K

137.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$702 R 11.6K

71.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$889 R 14.6K

344.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$652 R 10.7K

913.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$3,224 R 53.1K

-79.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.51

-0.78%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bhisho: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $366 in Bhisho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhisho pays 376% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Bhisho for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $178 per month, with Bhisho 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 Bhisho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bhisho wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bhisho the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 376% lower in Bhisho. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $366 in Bhisho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $197 in Bhisho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,044 in Bhisho versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bhisho but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bhisho the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bhisho delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,044 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bhisho hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Bhisho gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.