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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,076 in Bursa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,618 in Bursa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,160 in Bursa.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 18% more expensive than Bursa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bursa 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$207

$9.65 ₺445

23.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$749

$30.92 ₺1,425

38.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$186

$7.74 ₺357

37.60%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$60.2

$2.85 ₺131

21.05%

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

$1.50 MX$26.24

$1.12 ₺51.8

33.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.56

$0.42 ₺19.47

126.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$2.11 ₺97.2

43.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$80.4

$2.23 ₺103

106.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.01

$0.87 ₺40.32

58.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.76 ₺34.86

143.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.11

$1.95 ₺89.7

-17.44%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.26

$1.93 ₺89.2

34.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$144

$9.18 ₺423

-10.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$146

$5.59 ₺258

49.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$186

$18.48 ₺852

-42.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.89

$1.49 ₺68.7

76.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.96

$2.28 ₺105

-34.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.50

$1.32 ₺61.0

45.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.41

$1.62 ₺74.9

29.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.42

$0.76 ₺34.94

144.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.47

$0.47 ₺21.44

380.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.54

$0.82 ₺37.67

29.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.98

$0.30 ₺13.89

263.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.4

$2.15 ₺99.1

93.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$181

$10.94 ₺504

-5.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$30.09

$1.94 ₺89.4

-11.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.60

$2.05 ₺94.6

27.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.46

$1.69 ₺77.9

-68.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$470

$49.28 ₺2,272

-45.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.6

$0.89 ₺41.01

251.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.82

$0.65 ₺29.90

286.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$8.79 ₺405

-64.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.25

$1.15 ₺52.8

10.43%

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

$30.4K MX$530.1K

$41.6K ₺1.9M

-27.06%

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

$23.6K MX$411.3K

$43.5K ₺2.0M

-45.88%

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

$83.0 MX$1,449

$56.4 ₺2,601

47.11%

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

$22.71 MX$396

$9.61 ₺443

136.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$514

$11.71 ₺540

151.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$890

$56.7 ₺2,613

-10.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$320

$37.40 ₺1,724

-50.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$7.57 ₺349

-34.87%

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

$197 MX$3,444

$366 ₺16.9K

-46.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$92.1K

$18.1K ₺832.8K

-70.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$644

$56.2 ₺2,592

-34.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$696

$43.80 ₺2,019

-8.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,396

$102 ₺4,717

-21.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,561

$79.0 ₺3,644

13.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.7K

$441 ₺20.3K

116.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,327

$340 ₺15.7K

40.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.7K

$817 ₺37.7K

101.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.4K

$517 ₺23.8K

136.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$68.4K

$1,331 ₺61.4K

194.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$112.7K

$1,191 ₺54.9K

442.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.6K

$1,009 ₺46.5K

-33.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

42.62

-73.21%

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 Bursa: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $441 in Bursa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bursa pays 51% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Bursa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $223 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. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bursa earns 51% less. 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $441 in Bursa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,076 in Bursa versus $1,271 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 18% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.