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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,078 in Bursa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,700 in Bursa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,322 in Bursa.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 21% more expensive than in Bursa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bursa 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$8.46 ₺411

41.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$31.13 ₺1,512

52.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$7.18 ₺349

63.65%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$3.39 ₺165

21.53%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.96 ₺46.67

45.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.37 ₺18.06

145.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.25 ₺109

42.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.03 ₺147

133.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$0.97 ₺47.22

73.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.84 ₺40.72

155.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$2.29 ₺111

-22.71%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.29 ₺111

23.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$10.25 ₺498

-10.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$5.33 ₺259

73.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$19.13 ₺929

-33.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.77 ₺85.8

66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$2.04 ₺98.9

-22.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.04 ₺50.7

113.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.31 ₺63.7

80.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.58 ₺27.94

243.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.42 ₺20.34

371.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.74 ₺36.08

67.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.72 ₺35.05

68.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$2.03 ₺98.4

126.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$12.20 ₺592

-13.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.95 ₺94.8

-13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.16 ₺105

28.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$1.01 ₺49.14

-40.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$36.90 ₺1,792

-19.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.06 ₺51.4

394.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.85 ₺41.19

329.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$7.22 ₺350

-19.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.28 ₺62.2

20.31%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$43.1K ₺2.1M

-47.09%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$41.5K ₺2.0M

-37.78%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$80.2 ₺3,893

13.10%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$10.93 ₺531

130.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$13.72 ₺666

131.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$71.3 ₺3,460

-3.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$22.82 ₺1,108

28.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$6.30 ₺306

-22.86%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$576 ₺28.0K

-60.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$11.6K ₺561.1K

-63.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$44.10 ₺2,141

7.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$36.20 ₺1,757

20.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$83.4 ₺4,050

-3.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$103 ₺5,004

-11.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$397 ₺19.3K

173.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$317 ₺15.4K

28.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$731 ₺35.5K

169.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$657 ₺31.9K

95.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$1,343 ₺65.2K

201.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,331 ₺64.6K

403.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$1,026 ₺49.8K

-24.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

42.67

-73.17%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bursa: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $397 in Bursa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bursa pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Bursa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $236 per month, with Bursa 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 Bursa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bursa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Bursa. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $397 in Bursa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bursa – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,078 in Bursa versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bursa but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bursa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bursa 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Bursa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bursa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.