Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bucha

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucha: $746 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Bucha
Learn more

Bucha Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Bucha

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$746

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Bucha

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 Bucha actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $746 in Bucha.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Bucha $746

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,142 in Bucha.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Bucha $1,142

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,538 in Bucha.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Bucha $1,538

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 61% more expensive than in Bucha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Bucha 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$9.86 ₴443

10.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$22.50 ₴1,010

96.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$6.60 ₴296

78.18%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$1.00 ₴45.09

268.00%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$0.62 ₴27.81

116.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.37 ₴16.60

121.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$0.87 ₴39.16

251.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$1.93 ₴86.5

155.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.12 ₴50.1

31.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$0.89 ₴40.04

149.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$1.50 ₴67.5

-1.33%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$1.97 ₴88.5

26.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$8.09 ₴363

-7.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$5.20 ₴233

53.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$6.83 ₴306

84.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$0.99 ₴44.59

180.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.52 ₴68.1

-5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$1.87 ₴84.1

40.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$2.76 ₴124

-22.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$0.69 ₴31.10

192.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$0.45 ₴20.42

342.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$1.41 ₴63.2

-19.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.51 ₴23.07

135.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$3.39 ₴152

25.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$4.73 ₴212

111.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$0.95 ₴42.66

62.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$1.37 ₴61.4

94.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$0.46 ₴20.45

15.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$13.82 ₴620

99.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$2.07 ₴93.1

136.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$0.48 ₴21.61

614.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$3.98 ₴179

35.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.69 ₴76.0

-14.20%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$31.4K ₴1.4M

-32.61%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$24.6K ₴1.1M

-6.42%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$98.5 ₴4,419

-13.30%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$6.39 ₴287

267.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$6.35 ₴285

347.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$26.50 ₴1,189

134.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$15.20 ₴682

88.68%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$4.60 ₴206

10.87%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$402 ₴18.0K

-49.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$4,197 ₴188.4K

-5.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$67.3 ₴3,023

-34.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$17.42 ₴782

137.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$54.5 ₴2,447

33.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$56.4 ₴2,531

58.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$200 ₴8,961

390.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$197 ₴8,821

89.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$465 ₴20.9K

261.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$331 ₴14.8K

231.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$1,038 ₴46.6K

280.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$769 ₴34.5K

698.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$548 ₴24.6K

34.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

17.88

-35.96%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Bucha: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Bucha

$197 26.3% 47.3% $176

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Bucha

$172 23% 33.5% $87

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Bucha

$123 16.5% 38.6% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Bucha

$111 14.9% 19% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Bucha

$88 11.8% 21.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Bucha

$36 4.8% 50.7% $37

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Bucha

$20 2.7% 61.1% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $979 in Playa del Carmen and $200 in Bucha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 35% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $44.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $23.00 in Bucha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $172 per month, with Bucha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇦 Bucha

🕒 Local time

18:29 6:29 PM

02:29 2:29 AM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

27,460

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 UAH = 2.23 USD

100 UAH = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UAH, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 44.89 UAH (100 UAH = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 50.46 UAH (100 UAH = 1.98 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Bucha 10,010 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Bucha

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 Bucha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Bucha differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($1,204 vs $746 including rent). Bucha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 35% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $200 in Bucha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $746 in Bucha – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucha runs roughly 99% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $746 in Bucha versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucha but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bucha 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 Bucha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.