Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bocastown, Isla Colon

For one person, living costs are similar in Playa del Carmen and in Bocastown, Isla Colon: $1,202 and $1,203 a month, rent and utilities included.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Bocastown, Isla Colon

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,203

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Bocastown, Isla Colon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Bocastown, Isla Colon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,203 in Bocastown, Isla Colon, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Bocastown, Isla Colon $1,203

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,054 in Bocastown, Isla Colon, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Bocastown, Isla Colon $2,054

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,905 in Bocastown, Isla Colon, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Bocastown, Isla Colon $2,905

Playa del Carmen and Bocastown, Isla Colon have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Playa del Carmen and Bocastown, Isla Colon are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Bocastown, Isla Colon 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$200

$5.48 PAB 5.48

94.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$819

$44.72 PAB 44.72

-2.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$220

$13.05 PAB 13.05

-9.66%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.8

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

$1.30 MX$24.26

$1.01 PAB 1.01

28.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.59

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.9

$2.52 PAB 2.52

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.3

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

$1.99 PAB 1.99

-29.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.07

$3.10 PAB 3.10

-29.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.54

$2.52 PAB 2.52

-41.67%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.70

$2.82 PAB 2.82

-11.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$16.07 PAB 16.07

-54.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$149

$9.35 PAB 9.35

-14.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$241

$8.17 PAB 8.17

57.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.2

$3.77 PAB 3.77

-23.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.87

$1.44 PAB 1.44

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.59

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.97

$5.41 PAB 5.41

-62.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.88

$2.24 PAB 2.24

-9.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.60

$1.68 PAB 1.68

13.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.41

$2.48 PAB 2.48

-54.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.17

$1.78 PAB 1.78

-30.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.9

$4.82 PAB 4.82

-11.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$184

$9.25 PAB 9.25

6.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.66

$1.76 PAB 1.76

-9.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.3

$2.47 PAB 2.47

11.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.63

$1.02 PAB 1.02

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$512

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.1

$1.02 PAB 1.02

366.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.8

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.58

$1.32 PAB 1.32

15.91%

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

$21.2K MX$396.8K

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

$23.3K MX$435.1K

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

$83.5 MX$1,562

$76.1 PAB 76.1

9.70%

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

$23.19 MX$434

$25.63 PAB 25.63

-9.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$516

$50.4 PAB 50.4

-45.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,056

$34.52 PAB 34.52

63.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$527

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.5

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

$207 MX$3,873

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$813

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$796

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,361

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,653

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.6K

$745 PAB 745

33.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,152

$592 PAB 592

-35.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.3K

$1,182 PAB 1,182

41.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.2K

$1,504 PAB 1,504

-28.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

$683 PAB 683

21.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bocastown, Isla Colon: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Bocastown, Isla Colon

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Bocastown, Isla Colon

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Bocastown, Isla Colon

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Bocastown, Isla Colon

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Bocastown, Isla Colon

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Bocastown, Isla Colon

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Bocastown, Isla Colon

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $745 in Bocastown, Isla Colon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 22% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $45 in Bocastown, Isla Colon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $320 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇵🇦 Bocastown, Isla Colon

🕒 Local time

12:21 12:21 PM

Same time as Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

5,380

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Bocastown, Isla Colon 1,360 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Bocastown, Isla Colon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Bocastown, Isla Colon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,805 in Bocastown, Isla Colon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bocastown, Isla Colon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $745 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $1,203 in Bocastown, Isla Colon, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,202 versus $1,203 in Bocastown, Isla Colon. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.