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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $341 in Budaun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $545 in Budaun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $748 in Budaun.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 273% more expensive than Budaun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Budaun 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$2.13 ₹203

457.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$11.49 ₹1,093

273.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$2.92 ₹278

264.73%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$0.55 ₹52.7

527.27%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.27 ₹25.35

455.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.11 ₹10.41

763.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.55 ₹147

95.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.79 ₹170

157.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.68 ₹64.7

102.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.34 ₹32.19

444.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.59 ₹56.3

172.88%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$0.67 ₹63.3

286.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$4.41 ₹419

87.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$2.34 ₹223

257.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.18 ₹113

122.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.48 ₹45.84

210.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.56 ₹53.5

242.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.49 ₹46.40

326.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.24 ₹22.73

675.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.33 ₹31.70

584.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.11 ₹10.34

863.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.34 ₹32.35

220.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.50 ₹238

66.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$2.67 ₹254

289.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.36 ₹129

26.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.35 ₹224

11.06%

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

$3.39 ₹322

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.30 ₹28.63

80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$8.50 ₹808

216.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.60 ₹56.7

421.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.10 ₹9.66

2410.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$1.18 ₹112

166.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.19 ₹113

6.72%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$5,710 ₹543.0K

431.96%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$16.4K ₹1.6M

43.41%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$51.1 ₹4,859

62.46%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$3.26 ₹310

596.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$5.65 ₹537

421.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$15.74 ₹1,497

224.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$6.94 ₹660

164.12%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$2.84 ₹270

73.59%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$36.73 ₹3,493

437.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$1,588 ₹151.0K

232.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$23.72 ₹2,256

55.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$30.81 ₹2,930

29.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$39.70 ₹3,776

101.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$18.46 ₹1,756

384.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$122 ₹11.6K

684.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$76.8 ₹7,306

520.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$273 ₹25.9K

503.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$177 ₹16.9K

590.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,054 ₹100.2K

271.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$523 ₹49.7K

1135.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

8.49

34.51%

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 Budaun: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $122 in Budaun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $11.00 in Budaun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $76.0 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 273% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $512 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $122 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 217% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $36.73 in Budaun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $341 in Budaun versus $1,271 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 273% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.