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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,366 in Budaors, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,062 in Budaors, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,759 in Budaors, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 8% cheaper than Budaors, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Playa del Carmen sits 5% below the global median, while Budaors is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$11.44 Ft 3,606

2.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$51.2 Ft 16.1K

-18.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$8.84 Ft 2,785

18.89%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.33 Ft 733

54.08%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.76 Ft 555

-14.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$1.35 Ft 427

-31.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.41 Ft 758

22.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.95 Ft 929

49.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.03 Ft 325

35.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.59 Ft 500

18.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.03 Ft 641

-23.15%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$3.10 Ft 978

-15.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$9.83 Ft 3,097

-15.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.35 Ft 2,000

31.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$13.47 Ft 4,245

-19.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.87 Ft 589

44.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.91 Ft 601

-20.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$2.08 Ft 655

-10.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$3.20 Ft 1,008

-31.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.16 Ft 366

60.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.42 Ft 447

57.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.53 Ft 483

-30.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.60 Ft 189

81.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$6.80 Ft 2,142

-38.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$4.76 Ft 1,500

119.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.12 Ft 353

48.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.65 Ft 518

58.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.28 Ft 405

-57.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$13.72 Ft 4,323

90.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$3.23 Ft 1,018

-4.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.14 Ft 359

110.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$19.08 Ft 6,010

-83.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.84 Ft 579

-28.80%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$25.5K Ft 8.0M

16.72%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$32.1K Ft 10.1M

-27.34%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$147 Ft 46.3K

-44.73%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$26.54 Ft 8,361

-15.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$19.33 Ft 6,091

55.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$71.0 Ft 22.4K

-25.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$10.47 Ft 3,299

75.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$9.02 Ft 2,842

-45.45%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$449 Ft 141.4K

-55.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$6,357 Ft 2.0M

-18.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$65.8 Ft 20.7K

-45.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$38.33 Ft 12.1K

4.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$92.4 Ft 29.1K

-13.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$92.8 Ft 29.2K

-6.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$534 Ft 168.3K

83.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$532 Ft 167.6K

-11.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$806 Ft 254.0K

104.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$803 Ft 253.1K

49.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$4,163 Ft 1.3M

-5.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$3,776 Ft 1.2M

74.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$1,688 Ft 531.9K

-59.92%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Budaors: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $534 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 150% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $51.0 in Budaors. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $232 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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, $1,366 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,048 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 9% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $51.0 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 $1,260, than in Budaors at $1,366. 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen to $1,366 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.