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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $695 in Bonao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,087 in Bonao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,480 in Bonao.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 83% more expensive than Bonao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bonao 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$5.60 DOP 328

111.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$26.70 DOP 1,564

60.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.98 DOP 292

113.86%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.97 DOP 116

75.13%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.00 DOP 58.5

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.84 DOP 49.08

13.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.44 DOP 143

24.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.12 DOP 183

47.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.38 DOP 80.8

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.41 DOP 82.8

31.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.95 DOP 55.4

69.47%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.60 DOP 93.9

61.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.17 DOP 420

15.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.55 DOP 325

50.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.70 DOP 627

-0.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.34 DOP 137

12.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.60 DOP 35.19

148.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.21 DOP 130

-13.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.32 DOP 77.4

58.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$2.21 DOP 129

-15.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.15 DOP 67.1

96.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.80 DOP 47.12

32.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.57 DOP 33.13

91.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$5.67 DOP 332

-26.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$7.22 DOP 423

43.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.48 DOP 145

-30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.26 DOP 191

-19.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.55 DOP 32.04

-1.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$26.88 DOP 1,574

0.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.38 DOP 198

-7.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.20 DOP 129

14.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.49 DOP 146

26.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.27 DOP 74.1

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$26.9K DOP 1.6M

12.98%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$31.1K DOP 1.8M

-24.17%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$74.8 DOP 4,384

10.92%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$25.29 DOP 1,482

-10.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$34.04 DOP 1,994

-13.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$17.29 DOP 1,013

194.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$2.59 DOP 152

90.35%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$264 DOP 15.5K

-25.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$8,104 DOP 474.7K

-34.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$60.8 DOP 3,564

-39.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$51.8 DOP 3,034

-22.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$34.31 DOP 2,010

133.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$34.16 DOP 2,001

161.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$147 DOP 8,582

552.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$102 DOP 5,992

366.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$292 DOP 17.1K

463.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$215 DOP 12.6K

470.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bonao: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $147 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 $250 vs $203 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 83% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $695 including rent). Bonao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,042 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $147 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 0% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $264 in Bonao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $695 in Bonao versus $1,271 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 83% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.