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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $338 in Brahmanbaria, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $579 in Brahmanbaria, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $819 in Brahmanbaria, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 271% more than Brahmanbaria, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Brahmanbaria are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Brahmanbaria 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$1.68 ৳207

613.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$15.05 ৳1,855

177.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$7.35 ৳906

46.26%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.79 ৳714

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 ৳501

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.67 ৳206

109.58%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.36 ৳44.32

302.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.15 ৳18.33

486.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.79 ৳97.8

81.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.57 ৳70.5

222.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.66 ৳80.8

137.88%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.02 ৳125

146.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$9.02 ৳1,112

-8.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$1.55 ৳191

443.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$7.29 ৳899

46.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.30 ৳283

13.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.02 ৳125

41.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.06 ৳255

-4.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.81 ৳99.3

158.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.47 ৳58.5

293.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.88 ৳109

146.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.38 ৳46.69

171.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.25 ৳30.67

328.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.83 ৳1,089

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ৳104

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ৳179

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$2.82 ৳347

45.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.20 ৳24.63

155.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$10.38 ৳1,280

150.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.85 ৳105

280.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.43 ৳52.8

460.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.45 ৳302

31.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.00 ৳123

32.00%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$33.2K ৳4.1M

-10.57%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$33.5K ৳4.1M

-29.40%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$22.53 ৳2,778

264.00%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$5.79 ৳714

296.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$13.13 ৳1,618

129.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$13.49 ৳1,663

285.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$11.70 ৳1,442

58.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$3.30 ৳407

50.91%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$29.41 ৳3,626

571.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$1,376 ৳169.6K

287.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$20.42 ৳2,517

74.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$18.71 ৳2,307

115.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$52.7 ৳6,497

49.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$34.37 ৳4,237

158.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$70.5 ৳8,697

1242.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$41.31 ৳5,093

1047.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$161 ৳19.8K

921.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$98.7 ৳12.2K

1126.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$686 ৳84.5K

491.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$259 ৳31.9K

2399.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.67

-2.14%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Brahmanbaria: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $70.5 in Brahmanbaria. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $15.00 in Brahmanbaria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $115 – making Brahmanbaria 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 Brahmanbaria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 271%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $508 in Brahmanbaria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brahmanbaria, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $338 in Brahmanbaria. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 151% less in Brahmanbaria. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Brahmanbaria, where all-in costs run around $338, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Brahmanbaria it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Brahmanbaria – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Brahmanbaria. 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.