Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bila Tserkva Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bila Tserkva

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $540 in Bila Tserkva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $829 in Bila Tserkva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,119 in Bila Tserkva.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 135% more expensive than Bila Tserkva, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bila Tserkva 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$4.74 ₴213

150.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$29.41 ₴1,321

45.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.22 ₴235

104.02%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$0.95 ₴42.73

263.16%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.54 ₴24.16

177.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.32 ₴14.59

196.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$0.60 ₴27.00

405.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$0.85 ₴38.06

442.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.99 ₴44.53

39.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.60 ₴26.76

208.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.19 ₴53.3

35.29%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.20 ₴54.1

115.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.82 ₴351

5.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.73 ₴168

124.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$4.22 ₴190

152.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$0.76 ₴34.22

246.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.30 ₴58.3

14.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.22 ₴54.9

57.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.32 ₴59.3

58.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.39 ₴17.72

376.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.50 ₴22.63

352.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.57 ₴25.63

85.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.47 ₴21.15

131.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.27 ₴102

82.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$3.26 ₴147

218.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.65 ₴29.21

164.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$0.88 ₴39.68

196.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.23 ₴10.31

134.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.79 ₴80.6

74.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.30 ₴13.62

736.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.83 ₴127

11.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.34 ₴60.2

-5.22%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$31.3K ₴1.4M

-2.83%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$24.1K ₴1.1M

-2.13%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$56.1 ₴2,519

48.03%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$5.48 ₴246

314.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$3.72 ₴167

691.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$24.87 ₴1,117

105.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$9.86 ₴443

85.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.46 ₴155

42.49%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$293 ₴13.2K

-32.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,426 ₴153.9K

54.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$42.19 ₴1,895

-12.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$12.12 ₴544

229.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$77.7 ₴3,492

2.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$84.5 ₴3,794

5.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$158 ₴7,080

506.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$131 ₴5,863

265.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$204 ₴9,150

708.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$158 ₴7,093

675.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,141 ₴51.3K

243.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$749 ₴33.7K

762.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$444 ₴19.9K

50.23%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Bila Tserkva: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $158 in Bila Tserkva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 50% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $29.00 in Bila Tserkva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $125 per month, with Bila Tserkva 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 Bila Tserkva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Bila Tserkva differ by about 135% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $540 including rent). Bila Tserkva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 50% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $158 in Bila Tserkva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 100% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $540 in Bila Tserkva – a 135% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $540 in Bila Tserkva versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bila Tserkva but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bila Tserkva 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Bila Tserkva are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bila Tserkva gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.