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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,372 in Budaors, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,040 in Budaors, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,709 in Budaors, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 7% cheaper than Budaors, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Playa del Carmen sits 5% below the global median, while Budaors is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$11.72 Ft 3,547

1.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$52.2 Ft 15.8K

-17.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.75 Ft 2,646

21.71%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.24 Ft 678

54.02%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.68 Ft 509

-10.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$1.28 Ft 389

-25.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.49 Ft 753

21.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.93 Ft 887

57.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.09 Ft 330

26.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.51 Ft 457

22.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.11 Ft 640

-23.70%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.13 Ft 946

-17.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.11 Ft 3,060

-18.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.40 Ft 1,936

30.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$13.25 Ft 4,009

-19.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.84 Ft 556

42.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.99 Ft 603

-25.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.15 Ft 650

-10.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$3.22 Ft 975

-35.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.14 Ft 344

63.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.40 Ft 424

61.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.50 Ft 453

-29.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.56 Ft 171

94.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$6.71 Ft 2,030

-38.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$4.91 Ft 1,485

111.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.17 Ft 353

47.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.67 Ft 505

56.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.33 Ft 401

-59.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$13.82 Ft 4,181

94.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.21 Ft 972

-2.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.18 Ft 357

112.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$19.23 Ft 5,818

-83.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.83 Ft 553

-30.60%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$25.7K Ft 7.8M

18.22%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$31.7K Ft 9.6M

-25.65%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$144 Ft 43.7K

-42.54%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$26.14 Ft 7,908

-13.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$19.78 Ft 5,985

48.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$69.8 Ft 21.1K

-26.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$10.66 Ft 3,226

71.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$8.75 Ft 2,648

-43.66%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$458 Ft 138.6K

-56.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$6,249 Ft 1.9M

-15.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$66.3 Ft 20.0K

-44.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$38.55 Ft 11.7K

3.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$91.9 Ft 27.8K

-12.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$91.4 Ft 27.7K

-2.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$526 Ft 159.0K

81.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$534 Ft 161.6K

-10.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$809 Ft 244.7K

103.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$821 Ft 248.5K

49.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$4,222 Ft 1.3M

-7.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$4,059 Ft 1.2M

59.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$1,752 Ft 530.1K

-61.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

7.5

52.27%

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 Budaors: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $526 in Budaors. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 163% higher in Budaors, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $52.0 in Budaors. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $233 in Budaors – so Budaors wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Budaors: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $1,372 in Budaors – roughly 8% apart. Budaors costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,058 in Budaors. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Budaors – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $52.0 in Budaors. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,271, than in Budaors at $1,372. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budaors it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,271 in Playa del Carmen to $1,372 in Budaors. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budaors makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.