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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $342 in Budaun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $568 in Budaun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $794 in Budaun.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 270% more expensive than in Budaun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Budaun 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$2.06 ₹198

463.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$20.83 ₹1,998

126.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$2.64 ₹253

350.00%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$0.54 ₹51.6

637.04%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.38 ₹36.52

276.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.17 ₹16.71

382.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.85 ₹177

72.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$1.56 ₹149

335.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$0.65 ₹62.3

158.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.32 ₹30.84

587.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$0.53 ₹51.1

222.64%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$0.64 ₹61.7

328.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$4.23 ₹406

126.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$2.10 ₹202

329.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.01 ₹97.2

186.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.41 ₹39.29

265.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$0.53 ₹51.0

305.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$0.44 ₹41.88

413.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.31 ₹29.89

538.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.33 ₹31.23

503.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.10 ₹9.79

1130.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.31 ₹29.85

287.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.25 ₹216

102.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$2.64 ₹253

292.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.27 ₹121

27.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.06 ₹198

39.81%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$3.22 ₹309

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.27 ₹25.45

122.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$7.13 ₹684

303.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.02 ₹97.6

428.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.10 ₹9.35

3630.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$1.60 ₹153

260.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.07 ₹102

43.93%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$5,293 ₹507.8K

326.05%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$19.0K ₹1.8M

37.16%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$43.01 ₹4,127

112.46%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$4.25 ₹407

492.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$6.79 ₹652

360.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$15.96 ₹1,531

321.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$6.87 ₹659

323.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.10 ₹490

-4.71%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$96.7 ₹9,280

131.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$2,046 ₹196.3K

106.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$25.21 ₹2,419

86.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$28.73 ₹2,757

54.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$53.6 ₹5,138

49.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$46.67 ₹4,477

98.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$121 ₹11.6K

780.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$72.6 ₹6,967

437.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$264 ₹25.3K

715.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$168 ₹16.1K

657.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,073 ₹103.0K

272.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$436 ₹41.8K

1391.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.6

33.14%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Budaun: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $121 in Budaun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Budaun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $71.0 per month, with Budaun cheaper across the board.

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 Budaun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budaun is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 270% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $513 in Budaun 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $121 in Budaun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Budaun runs roughly 304% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $96.7 in Budaun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $342 in Budaun versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Budaun but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Budaun the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Budaun is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Budaun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 270% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.