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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $670 in Budaiya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,135 in Budaiya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,600 in Budaiya.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 90% more expensive than Budaiya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Budaiya 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$5.28 BHD 1.99

124.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$52.9 BHD 19.92

-18.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.12 BHD 2.68

49.58%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$4.90 BHD 1.85

-29.59%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.82 BHD 0.31

82.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.28 BHD 0.11

239.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$7.83 BHD 2.95

-61.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$10.42 BHD 3.93

-55.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.72 BHD 0.65

-19.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.29 BHD 0.49

43.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.17 BHD 0.44

37.61%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.56 BHD 0.59

66.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$2.63 BHD 0.99

214.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.56 BHD 2.85

10.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$3.90 BHD 1.47

173.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.38 BHD 0.90

10.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.10 BHD 0.79

-29.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.67 BHD 0.63

14.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.08 BHD 0.41

93.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.79 BHD 0.30

135.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.07 BHD 0.40

111.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.31 BHD 0.49

-19.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.54 BHD 0.21

101.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$5.78 BHD 2.18

-28.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$13.05 BHD 4.92

-20.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.69 BHD 0.64

1.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.75 BHD 0.66

49.14%

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

$2.73 BHD 1.03

14.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.61 BHD 0.98

-3.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$26.78 BHD 10.10

-88.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.38 BHD 0.14

234.21%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$37.1K BHD 14.0K

-18.24%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$20.4K BHD 7,688

15.52%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$88.5 BHD 33.34

-6.16%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$27.19 BHD 10.25

-16.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$27.05 BHD 10.19

8.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$8.08 BHD 3.05

-38.99%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$393 BHD 148

-49.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$8,922 BHD 3,363

-40.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$45.41 BHD 17.11

-18.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$62.6 BHD 23.58

-36.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$84.7 BHD 31.92

-5.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$87.3 BHD 32.92

2.44%

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

8.56

33.41%

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 Budaiya: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $53.0 in Budaiya. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $189, 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 90% 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 $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,005 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 32% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $670 in Budaiya – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $670 in Budaiya versus $1,271 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 $670 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 90% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.