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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $706 in Bonao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,089 in Bonao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,472 in Bonao.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 82% more expensive than Bonao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Bonao 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$5.63 DOP 333

112.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$27.24 DOP 1,609

56.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.03 DOP 297

110.54%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.96 DOP 116

84.69%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.99 DOP 58.5

48.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.79 DOP 46.97

18.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.41 DOP 142

28.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.03 DOP 179

47.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.37 DOP 81.2

4.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.42 DOP 84.1

32.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$0.94 DOP 55.8

73.40%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.60 DOP 94.5

65.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$7.32 DOP 432

12.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.68 DOP 336

45.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$10.86 DOP 641

2.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.34 DOP 139

13.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$0.64 DOP 37.65

134.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.27 DOP 134

-12.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.32 DOP 78.3

57.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$2.17 DOP 128

-17.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.13 DOP 66.7

92.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.76 DOP 44.64

42.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.54 DOP 31.64

92.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$5.75 DOP 340

-30.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$7.24 DOP 428

40.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.47 DOP 146

-29.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$3.23 DOP 191

-22.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.57 DOP 33.90

-8.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$27.60 DOP 1,631

-2.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$3.36 DOP 199

-6.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$2.19 DOP 130

9.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$2.43 DOP 144

27.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.21 DOP 71.7

4.96%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$26.1K DOP 1.5M

18.14%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$32.3K DOP 1.9M

-27.83%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$75.4 DOP 4,453

8.81%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$25.18 DOP 1,488

-10.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$34.52 DOP 2,040

-14.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$16.85 DOP 996

207.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$2.48 DOP 147

100.40%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$265 DOP 15.7K

-25.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$8,245 DOP 487.2K

-36.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$60.7 DOP 3,584

-40.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$51.3 DOP 3,029

-21.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$33.37 DOP 1,972

139.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$33.79 DOP 1,997

163.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$142 DOP 8,395

578.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$103 DOP 6,092

350.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$288 DOP 17.0K

454.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$216 DOP 12.8K

459.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-4.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Bonao: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $142 in Bonao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Bonao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $204 per month, with Bonao 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 Bonao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Bonao differ by about 82% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $706 including rent). Bonao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,058 in Bonao 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $142 in Bonao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bonao runs roughly 2% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $265 in Bonao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $706 in Bonao versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bonao but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bonao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Bonao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.