Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Binan City Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Binan City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $744 in Binan City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,124 in Binan City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,504 in Binan City, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 70% more than Binan City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Binan City are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Binan City 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.02 ₱252

188.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$16.48 ₱1,035

185.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$2.72 ₱171

336.76%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$1.84 ₱116

116.30%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.60 ₱37.87

138.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.33 ₱20.84

148.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$0.97 ₱61.1

228.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$1.63 ₱102

316.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.60 ₱101

5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.11 ₱69.4

98.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$0.96 ₱60.3

78.13%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$2.08 ₱131

31.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$5.21 ₱327

83.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.51 ₱221

156.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.10 ₱446

80.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$2.36 ₱148

22.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.56 ₱97.9

-3.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$2.41 ₱152

-10.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.02 ₱64.1

121.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.72 ₱108

15.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.72 ₱108

15.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.67 ₱42.03

83.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.56 ₱34.92

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.59 ₱163

75.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.75 ₱487

33.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$0.91 ₱57.4

78.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$2.02 ₱127

42.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.25 ₱15.52

140.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$12.27 ₱771

134.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.66 ₱41.40

716.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.21 ₱13.18

1676.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$1.95 ₱122

195.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.14 ₱71.7

35.09%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$21.4K ₱1.3M

5.53%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

36.07%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$140 ₱8,799

-34.75%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$15.84 ₱995

59.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$30.73 ₱1,931

1.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$33.89 ₱2,129

98.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$5.04 ₱317

477.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$5.13 ₱322

-5.26%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$132 ₱8,321

68.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$7,497 ₱471.0K

-43.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$28.40 ₱1,784

65.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$19.28 ₱1,211

129.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$71.4 ₱4,486

12.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$55.4 ₱3,480

67.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$269 ₱16.9K

295.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$168 ₱10.6K

131.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$541 ₱34.0K

296.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$342 ₱21.5K

271.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$2,278 ₱143.1K

75.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,125 ₱70.7K

478.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.75

69.63%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Binan City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $269 in Binan City. 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in Binan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $172 – making Binan City 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 Binan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 70%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,117 in Binan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Binan City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $132 in Binan City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 61% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Binan City, where all-in costs run around $744, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Binan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Binan City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Binan City. 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.