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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $358 in Birgunj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $576 in Birgunj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $794 in Birgunj.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 254% more expensive than in Birgunj, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Birgunj 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$1.29 NPR 198

799.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$20.14 NPR 3,089

133.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$7.66 NPR 1,176

55.09%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$1.59 NPR 244

150.31%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$0.56 NPR 86.3

155.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.14 NPR 21.36

485.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.32 NPR 355

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.53 NPR 541

92.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$0.68 NPR 104

147.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.24 NPR 36.77

816.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$0.64 NPR 97.7

167.19%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$1.62 NPR 248

69.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$7.33 NPR 1,124

30.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$2.30 NPR 352

291.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$5.83 NPR 894

119.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.11 NPR 324

36.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$0.92 NPR 142

63.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.32 NPR 203

62.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$0.53 NPR 81.5

326.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.38 NPR 58.7

421.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.50 NPR 76.5

298.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.15 NPR 22.80

720.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.22 NPR 33.08

445.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$1.62 NPR 248

180.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$7.84 NPR 1,203

32.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$2.20 NPR 338

-26.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$3.14 NPR 482

-8.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.14 NPR 20.74

328.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$1.93 NPR 297

179.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$1.29 NPR 198

189.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$3.21 NPR 493

79.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.06 NPR 162

45.28%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$29.2K NPR 4.5M

-22.65%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$37.0K NPR 5.7M

-29.67%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$31.86 NPR 4,887

186.82%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$3.34 NPR 512

654.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$7.83 NPR 1,201

298.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$13.08 NPR 2,007

413.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$2.00 NPR 307

143.00%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$66.9 NPR 10.3K

234.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$4,861 NPR 745.7K

-13.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$26.22 NPR 4,023

79.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$28.83 NPR 4,423

53.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$25.69 NPR 3,941

211.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$16.34 NPR 2,507

467.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$34.79 NPR 5,338

2954.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$39.61 NPR 6,076

885.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$124 NPR 19.0K

1636.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$79.5 NPR 12.2K

1500.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$647 NPR 99.3K

518.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$486 NPR 74.6K

1237.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.72

17.80%

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 Birgunj: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $34.79 in Birgunj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $20.00 in Birgunj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $132 per month, with Birgunj 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 Birgunj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Birgunj wins on cost – living expenses run 254% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Birgunj the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $536 in Birgunj to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $34.79 in Birgunj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $66.9 in Birgunj. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Birgunj – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $358 in Birgunj versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Birgunj but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Birgunj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Birgunj delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $358 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Birgunj hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Birgunj 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 Birgunj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 254% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.