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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,393 in Budaors, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,037 in Budaors, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,681 in Budaors, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 8% cheaper than Budaors, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Playa del Carmen sits 4% below the global median, while Budaors is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$11.65 Ft 3,622

2.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$51.5 Ft 16.0K

-16.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$8.48 Ft 2,635

24.88%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.33 Ft 724

55.36%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.74 Ft 541

-15.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$1.35 Ft 418

-30.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$2.40 Ft 745

28.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$2.96 Ft 920

50.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.04 Ft 325

37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.52 Ft 474

23.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$2.07 Ft 644

-21.26%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$3.12 Ft 971

-15.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$10.16 Ft 3,158

-19.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$6.14 Ft 1,909

35.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$13.39 Ft 4,161

-17.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$1.83 Ft 570

44.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.98 Ft 616

-24.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$2.16 Ft 671

-7.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$3.23 Ft 1,004

-35.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.18 Ft 365

51.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.42 Ft 440

53.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.50 Ft 466

-28.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.57 Ft 179

82.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$6.65 Ft 2,066

-40.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$4.84 Ft 1,505

110.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.14 Ft 353

51.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$1.71 Ft 532

46.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$1.26 Ft 393

-58.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$13.75 Ft 4,273

96.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$3.24 Ft 1,007

-3.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$1.20 Ft 372

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$18.93 Ft 5,884

-83.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.84 Ft 573

-30.98%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$25.6K Ft 8.0M

20.55%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$31.3K Ft 9.7M

-25.55%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$146 Ft 45.2K

-43.65%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$26.28 Ft 8,169

-14.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$19.34 Ft 6,011

53.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$69.6 Ft 21.6K

-25.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$10.40 Ft 3,233

79.52%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$8.99 Ft 2,794

-44.72%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$463 Ft 144.0K

-57.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$8,053 Ft 2.5M

-34.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$67.7 Ft 21.1K

-46.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$38.46 Ft 12.0K

4.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$90.9 Ft 28.2K

-12.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$90.9 Ft 28.3K

-2.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$530 Ft 164.7K

81.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$527 Ft 163.7K

-11.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$820 Ft 254.9K

94.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$807 Ft 250.9K

49.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$4,111 Ft 1.3M

-4.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$3,932 Ft 1.2M

63.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$1,720 Ft 534.5K

-58.11%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Budaors: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $530 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 139% 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 $51.0 in Budaors. Groceries tell a different story – $251 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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, $1,393 in Budaors – roughly 8% apart. Budaors costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,090 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 8% 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 $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 $1,287, than in Budaors at $1,393. 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen to $1,393 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.