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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $809 in Budaiya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,284 in Budaiya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,759 in Budaiya.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 61% more expensive than in Budaiya, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Budaiya 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$6.51 BHD 2.45

83.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$52.0 BHD 19.60

-8.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$6.56 BHD 2.47

79.12%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$4.86 BHD 1.83

-15.23%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.89 BHD 0.33

57.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.26 BHD 0.10

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$6.57 BHD 2.48

-51.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$10.08 BHD 3.80

-29.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.41 BHD 0.53

19.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.10 BHD 0.42

95.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$2.29 BHD 0.86

-22.71%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.32 BHD 0.88

21.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$8.91 BHD 3.36

3.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.53 BHD 2.46

41.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$8.71 BHD 3.28

45.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.36 BHD 0.89

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$2.36 BHD 0.89

-33.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.90 BHD 0.72

16.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.45 BHD 0.54

62.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.05 BHD 0.40

89.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.42 BHD 0.54

39.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.49 BHD 0.56

-16.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.83 BHD 0.31

45.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$5.38 BHD 2.03

-14.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$18.38 BHD 6.93

-42.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$3.63 BHD 1.37

-53.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.61 BHD 0.98

6.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$5.35 BHD 2.01

-2.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$3.49 BHD 1.31

4.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$16.10 BHD 6.07

-64.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$0.69 BHD 0.26

123.19%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$37.5K BHD 14.1K

-39.18%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$20.3K BHD 7,659

27.02%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$153 BHD 57.7

-40.75%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$24.90 BHD 9.39

1.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$35.69 BHD 13.45

-11.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$10.55 BHD 3.98

-53.93%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$492 BHD 186

-54.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$11.0K BHD 4,161

-62.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$50.1 BHD 18.87

-5.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$56.7 BHD 21.39

-23.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$86.7 BHD 32.68

-7.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$88.4 BHD 33.32

3.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.21

84.38%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Budaiya: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $52.0 in Budaiya. Groceries flip the comparison at $278 vs $252, with Budaiya cheaper for home cooking.

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 Budaiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budaiya wins on cost – living expenses run 61% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Budaiya the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,214 in Budaiya to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $809 in Budaiya – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $809 in Budaiya versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Budaiya but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Budaiya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Budaiya delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $809 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Budaiya hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Budaiya are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Budaiya 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.