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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $384 in Birgunj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $620 in Birgunj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $856 in Birgunj.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 238% more expensive than Birgunj, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Birgunj 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$1.43 NPR 217

720.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$18.86 NPR 2,871

120.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.68 NPR 1,017

59.28%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.86 NPR 283

89.25%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.54 NPR 81.6

179.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.14 NPR 21.88

592.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.58 NPR 393

14.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.68 NPR 561

20.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$0.69 NPR 106

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.26 NPR 39.48

626.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.68 NPR 103

141.18%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.74 NPR 265

44.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.81 NPR 1,188

6.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$2.59 NPR 394

222.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$6.04 NPR 920

77.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.26 NPR 344

15.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.04 NPR 159

40.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.20 NPR 182

58.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$0.64 NPR 97.6

225.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.48 NPR 72.5

270.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.62 NPR 95.0

253.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.16 NPR 24.86

550.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.23 NPR 35.13

369.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$1.86 NPR 283

119.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$7.93 NPR 1,207

30.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$2.33 NPR 354

-26.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$3.24 NPR 493

-20.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.14 NPR 20.98

264.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.22 NPR 338

46.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.10 NPR 167

126.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$3.61 NPR 550

-9.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.22 NPR 186

7.38%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$32.6K NPR 5.0M

-7.25%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$41.1K NPR 6.3M

-43.02%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$33.23 NPR 5,058

149.38%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$3.61 NPR 550

515.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$9.91 NPR 1,509

196.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$14.34 NPR 2,183

260.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$2.23 NPR 339

127.35%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$90.4 NPR 13.8K

122.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$3,822 NPR 581.7K

36.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$25.26 NPR 3,844

46.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$27.58 NPR 4,198

44.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$28.79 NPR 4,383

172.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$18.31 NPR 2,786

375.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$37.97 NPR 5,780

2461.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$44.41 NPR 6,760

953.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$136 NPR 20.7K

1106.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$88.4 NPR 13.5K

1281.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$664 NPR 101.0K

494.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$493 NPR 75.0K

1217.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

12.08

-5.46%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Birgunj: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $37.97 in Birgunj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $19.00 in Birgunj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $139 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 238% 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 $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $576 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $37.97 in Birgunj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $90.4 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 $19.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $384 in Birgunj versus $1,297 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 $384 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 238% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.