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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $577 in Bonwapitse, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $928 in Bonwapitse, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,279 in Bonwapitse, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 119% more than Bonwapitse, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Bonwapitse are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Bonwapitse 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$11.20 P 148

3.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$29.88 P 393

57.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$5.99 P 78.9

98.33%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.30 P 30.31

73.04%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.78 P 10.23

83.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.44 P 5.81

86.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.99 P 26.20

60.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.55 P 33.55

166.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.49 P 19.56

12.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.89 P 11.74

147.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.82 P 23.92

-6.04%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.39 P 31.44

14.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$5.96 P 78.5

60.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.51 P 59.4

99.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$4.83 P 63.6

165.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.59 P 20.93

81.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.47 P 19.33

2.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.05 P 26.96

4.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.63 P 21.44

38.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.36 P 17.89

45.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.22 P 16.01

63.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.46 P 19.19

-15.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.90 P 11.83

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$3.73 P 49.17

21.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$4.48 P 59.0

131.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.45 P 19.11

11.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.68 P 22.18

71.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.65 P 8.54

729.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$2.57 P 33.82

45.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$2.88 P 37.95

100.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.36 P 17.95

13.24%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$20.7K P 273.3K

8.68%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$20.6K P 271.1K

26.61%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$61.1 P 804

49.63%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$19.90 P 262

26.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$40.64 P 535

-23.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$6.20 P 81.7

-21.61%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$132 P 1,740

69.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$2,551 P 33.6K

65.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$46.37 P 611

1.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$16.88 P 222

162.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$69.0 P 909

16.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$75.2 P 991

23.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.67

-1.89%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Bonwapitse: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $30.00 in Bonwapitse. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $171 – making Bonwapitse the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Bonwapitse: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 119% more than Bonwapitse, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $866 in Bonwapitse. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $30.00 in Bonwapitse. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 61% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bonwapitse, where all-in costs run around $577, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Bonwapitse it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bonwapitse costs $577 versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bonwapitse. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.