Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bradenton, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,647 in Bradenton, FL, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Bradenton, FL, United States
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Bradenton, FL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,647
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Bradenton, FL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Bradenton, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,647 in Bradenton, FL, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Bradenton, FL $2,647

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,697 in Bradenton, FL, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Bradenton, FL $3,697

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,746 in Bradenton, FL, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Bradenton, FL $4,746

Playa del Carmen is about 55% cheaper than Bradenton, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Bradenton, FL is 95% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Bradenton, FL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$19.88 $19.88
-45.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$814
$69.6 $69.6
-37.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$11.94 $11.94
-1.34%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.5
$5.02 $5.02
-24.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.07
$2.50 $2.50
-48.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.70
$1.98 $1.98
-60.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.5
$4.86 $4.86
-34.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
$5.88 $5.88
-16.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Bradenton, FL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.40
$0.84 $0.84
67.86%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.62
$3.36 $3.36
-33.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.61
$3.37 $3.37
-57.86%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.36
$4.12 $4.12
-38.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$136
$8.85 $8.85
-17.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$144
$11.95 $11.95
-35.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$238
$18.24 $18.24
-30.43%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.3
$3.14 $3.14
-11.46%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.68
$1.48 $1.48
-7.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.89
$2.23 $2.23
14.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.86
$4.35 $4.35
-51.26%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.39
$2.22 $2.22
-12.61%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.41
$3.74 $3.74
-49.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.53
$2.31 $2.31
-50.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.13
$1.80 $1.80
-34.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.6
$9.37 $9.37
-54.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$187
$12.19 $12.19
-18.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.73
$2.08 $2.08
-24.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.1
$4.49 $4.49
-40.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Bradenton, FL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.39
$1.54 $1.54
-64.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$500
$39.25 $39.25
-32.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.3
$1.96 $1.96
153.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.5
$2.44 $2.44
36.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$101
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.11
$1.00 $1.00
44.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$388.0K
$26.2K $26.2K
-21.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$440.5K
$26.2K $26.2K
-10.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Bradenton, FL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,592
$186 $186
-54.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$439
$54.8 $54.8
-57.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$538
$51.5 $51.5
-44.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Bradenton, FL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,071
$24.45 $24.45
133.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$543
$9.80 $9.80
195.00%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.5
$12.93 $12.93
-60.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Bradenton, FL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,878
$1,900 $1,900
-89.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.7K
$16.1K $16.1K
-75.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Bradenton, FL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$814
$43.21 $43.21
0.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$778
$39.38 $39.38
5.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,393
$79.4 $79.4
-6.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,676
$96.8 $96.8
-7.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Bradenton, FL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
$1,763 $1,763
-44.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,150
$1,463 $1,463
-73.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.1K
$2,638 $2,638
-35.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.2K
$2,110 $2,110
-49.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$74.0K
$2,894 $2,894
36.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.6K
$2,578 $2,578
138.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Bradenton, FL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
$4,075 $4,075
-81.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
6.85
67.15%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bradenton, FL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Bradenton, FL
$1.5K 284% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Bradenton, FL
$357 40.1% $102
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Bradenton, FL
$309 52.8% $107
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Bradenton, FL
$292 114% $155
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Bradenton, FL
$116 4.3% $4.8
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Bradenton, FL
$50 25.3% $17
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Bradenton, FL
$60 18.1% $9.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,763 in Bradenton, FL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bradenton, FL are about 5.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $70 in Bradenton, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $357 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇺🇸 Bradenton, FL
🕒 Local time
16:52 4:52 PM
16:52 4:52 PM
Same time as Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
53,662
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Bradenton, FL 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Bradenton, FL

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Bradenton, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Playa del Carmen or Bradenton, FL?
Bradenton, FL costs about 120% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Playa del Carmen and in Bradenton, FL?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,971 in Bradenton, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Playa del Carmen or Bradenton, FL?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,763 in Bradenton, FL.
How much does it cost to live in Playa del Carmen compared to Bradenton, FL?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $2,647 in Bradenton, FL. That makes Playa del Carmen about 55% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Playa del Carmen compared to Bradenton, FL?
Public transport costs about 32% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Playa del Carmen or in Bradenton, FL?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Bradenton, FL at $2,647. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bradenton, FL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Playa del Carmen or to Bradenton, FL?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bradenton, FL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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