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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $378 in Birgunj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $620 in Birgunj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $863 in Birgunj.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 232% more expensive than in Birgunj, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$1.49 NPR 228

704.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$19.16 NPR 2,943

118.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$6.42 NPR 986

67.45%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$1.89 NPR 290

85.19%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$0.54 NPR 82.4

168.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.14 NPR 21.25

528.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$2.52 NPR 387

17.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$3.70 NPR 568

21.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$0.74 NPR 114

93.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$0.28 NPR 43.07

557.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$0.67 NPR 103

134.33%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$1.79 NPR 276

40.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$7.94 NPR 1,220

4.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$2.62 NPR 403

221.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$6.04 NPR 927

76.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$2.27 NPR 349

14.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.06 NPR 163

35.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.18 NPR 182

66.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$0.70 NPR 108

198.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$0.51 NPR 78.6

262.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$0.63 NPR 96.3

244.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$0.15 NPR 23.66

586.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.23 NPR 35.44

365.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$1.84 NPR 283

122.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$8.65 NPR 1,329

17.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$2.36 NPR 362

-28.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$3.37 NPR 518

-24.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.16 NPR 24.83

218.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$2.12 NPR 326

52.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$1.06 NPR 163

127.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$3.60 NPR 553

-10.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.21 NPR 186

9.09%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$32.3K NPR 5.0M

-8.13%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$40.6K NPR 6.2M

-41.67%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$33.18 NPR 5,097

147.17%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$3.67 NPR 563

525.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$9.85 NPR 1,513

205.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$14.73 NPR 2,262

252.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$2.16 NPR 331

130.56%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$90.8 NPR 14.0K

117.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$3,718 NPR 571.1K

43.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$25.12 NPR 3,859

41.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$27.68 NPR 4,252

45.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$29.27 NPR 4,496

169.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$17.99 NPR 2,764

394.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$38.60 NPR 5,930

2353.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$43.96 NPR 6,752

978.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$141 NPR 21.6K

1067.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$85.9 NPR 13.2K

1309.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$645 NPR 99.0K

529.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$498 NPR 76.4K

1200.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Birgunj: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $38.60 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 $143 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 232% 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 $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $567 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.60 in Birgunj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $90.8 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 $378 in Birgunj versus $1,256 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 $378 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 232% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.