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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $376 in Biratnagar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $625 in Biratnagar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $875 in Biratnagar.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 234% more expensive than in Biratnagar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Biratnagar 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$1.68 NPR 259

613.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$18.18 NPR 2,792

129.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$8.43 NPR 1,295

27.52%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$1.52 NPR 233

130.26%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$0.34 NPR 52.7

326.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.15 NPR 23.35

486.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$1.68 NPR 258

75.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$2.58 NPR 396

74.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$0.63 NPR 96.7

126.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$0.39 NPR 60.3

371.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$0.66 NPR 102

137.88%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$1.36 NPR 208

84.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$5.06 NPR 777

63.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$3.01 NPR 463

180.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$3.55 NPR 546

200.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$2.12 NPR 326

23.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$0.86 NPR 132

67.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.49 NPR 229

31.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$0.55 NPR 84.0

280.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$0.40 NPR 62.0

362.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$0.51 NPR 78.6

325.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$0.49 NPR 75.1

110.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.34 NPR 52.5

214.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$2.96 NPR 455

38.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$2.24 NPR 344

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$3.20 NPR 492

-20.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.18 NPR 27.83

183.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$12.93 NPR 1,986

101.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$2.23 NPR 342

44.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$0.82 NPR 127

193.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$2.49 NPR 383

29.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.26 NPR 193

4.76%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$32.5K NPR 5.0M

-8.71%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$40.6K NPR 6.2M

-41.70%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$26.01 NPR 3,996

215.30%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$4.53 NPR 695

406.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$10.23 NPR 1,571

194.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$18.46 NPR 2,836

181.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$2.23 NPR 342

730.94%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$3.37 NPR 518

47.77%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$52.6 NPR 8,085

275.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$1,940 NPR 297.9K

175.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$25.11 NPR 3,857

41.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$36.46 NPR 5,600

10.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$27.75 NPR 4,263

183.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$33.18 NPR 5,096

168.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$105 NPR 16.1K

801.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$57.9 NPR 8,900

718.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$207 NPR 31.8K

694.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$146 NPR 22.5K

726.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$395 NPR 60.6K

927.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$259 NPR 39.8K

2398.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

$164 NPR 25.2K

299.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-18.43%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Biratnagar: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $105 in Biratnagar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 299% 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 $18.00 in Biratnagar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $110 per month, with Biratnagar 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 Biratnagar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Biratnagar is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 234% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 299% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $105 in Biratnagar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 127% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Biratnagar – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $376 in Biratnagar versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Biratnagar but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Biratnagar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Biratnagar is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Biratnagar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 234% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.