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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $618 in Bonwapitse, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $958 in Bonwapitse, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,298 in Bonwapitse, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 106% more than Bonwapitse, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Bonwapitse are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bonwapitse 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$7.52 P 98.6

57.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$30.19 P 396

42.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.98 P 78.5

78.09%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.28 P 29.86

51.32%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.83 P 10.91

80.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.47 P 6.15

102.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.22 P 29.12

36.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.03 P 39.69

52.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.41 P 18.45

-2.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.86 P 11.30

115.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.83 P 24.01

-12.02%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.37 P 31.03

9.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.56 P 99.2

9.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.97 P 65.2

68.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$5.53 P 72.6

92.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.82 P 23.81

44.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.39 P 18.28

7.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.93 P 25.36

-0.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.61 P 21.09

29.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.42 P 18.69

30.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.26 P 16.48

79.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.15 P 15.08

-7.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.88 P 11.51

23.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.65 P 47.92

13.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$4.29 P 56.2

142.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.67 P 21.97

2.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.19 P 28.72

19.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.58 P 7.65

439.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.61 P 34.25

-3.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.94 P 38.53

7.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.13 P 14.83

12.39%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$22.3K P 292.2K

36.37%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$16.9K P 222.1K

39.18%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$68.6 P 900

20.96%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$26.60 P 349

-14.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$80.1 P 1,050

-63.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.73 P 88.2

-26.75%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$182 P 2,390

8.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,783 P 49.6K

39.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$42.84 P 562

-13.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$24.12 P 316

65.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$75.6 P 992

5.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$99.2 P 1,302

-9.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

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

9.12

25.22%

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 Bonwapitse: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $30.00 in Bonwapitse. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $180 – 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 106% more than Bonwapitse, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $928 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 $43.00 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 39% 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 $618, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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 $618 versus $1,271 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.