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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $706 in Bonao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,099 in Bonao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,492 in Bonao.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 78% more expensive than in Bonao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bonao 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$5.59 DOP 325

109.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$27.06 DOP 1,572

54.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.00 DOP 291

110.20%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.00 DOP 116

79.50%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.02 DOP 59.4

48.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.83 DOP 48.08

10.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.40 DOP 140

23.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.12 DOP 181

41.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.35 DOP 78.4

3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.42 DOP 82.4

32.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$0.96 DOP 55.5

62.50%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.57 DOP 91.5

66.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$7.03 DOP 408

18.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.56 DOP 323

50.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$11.07 DOP 643

-1.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.26 DOP 131

19.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$0.65 DOP 37.82

132.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$2.26 DOP 132

-17.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.33 DOP 77.3

64.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$2.20 DOP 128

-15.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.14 DOP 66.3

95.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.76 DOP 44.38

40.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.57 DOP 33.37

91.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$5.61 DOP 326

-25.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$7.23 DOP 420

44.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.37 DOP 137

-29.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$3.26 DOP 189

-19.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.53 DOP 31.06

1.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$27.16 DOP 1,578

-3.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$3.30 DOP 192

-6.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.10 DOP 122

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$2.42 DOP 140

29.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.20 DOP 69.9

9.17%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$26.5K DOP 1.5M

12.33%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$32.3K DOP 1.9M

-27.88%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$76.8 DOP 4,460

5.90%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$25.53 DOP 1,484

-11.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$34.39 DOP 1,998

-12.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$17.13 DOP 995

208.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$2.58 DOP 150

90.70%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$268 DOP 15.6K

-25.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$7,993 DOP 464.4K

-35.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$60.5 DOP 3,514

-40.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$51.0 DOP 2,964

-21.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$34.22 DOP 1,989

132.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$33.36 DOP 1,938

159.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$142 DOP 8,231

590.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$101 DOP 5,866

366.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$289 DOP 16.8K

471.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$215 DOP 12.5K

460.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bonao: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $142 in Bonao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Bonao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $202 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 78% in total monthly costs ($1,260 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 $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,059 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: $978 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 4% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $268 in Bonao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $706 in Bonao versus $1,260 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 78% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.