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: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,078 in Bursa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,616 in Bursa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,155 in Bursa.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 17% more expensive than in Bursa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Bursa 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$9.50 ₺450

25.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$731

$30.82 ₺1,460

36.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$7.55 ₺358

38.01%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.3

$2.87 ₺136

22.30%

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

$1.52 MX$26.44

$1.13 ₺53.7

34.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.88

$0.43 ₺20.33

111.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.0

$2.13 ₺101

42.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.2

$2.35 ₺111

85.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.78

$0.88 ₺41.86

61.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.93

$0.81 ₺38.36

125.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.51

$2.02 ₺95.6

-19.31%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.29

$1.88 ₺88.9

35.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$9.16 ₺434

-6.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$5.68 ₺269

49.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$18.75 ₺888

-42.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.04

$1.44 ₺68.1

90.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.05

$2.20 ₺104

-34.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.90

$1.32 ₺62.6

43.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$1.64 ₺77.5

32.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.03

$0.76 ₺35.97

134.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.79

$0.46 ₺21.94

382.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.64

$0.85 ₺40.02

25.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.83

$0.30 ₺14.30

260.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.3

$2.11 ₺99.9

96.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$10.46 ₺495

-0.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.40

$2.02 ₺95.6

-13.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.01

$2.01 ₺95.2

28.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.95

$1.61 ₺76.4

-68.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$452

$49.55 ₺2,346

-47.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.0

$0.90 ₺42.49

256.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.64

$0.61 ₺29.06

309.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.6

$8.95 ₺424

-64.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.91

$1.16 ₺54.8

8.62%

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

$29.7K MX$517.7K

$40.8K ₺1.9M

-27.26%

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

$23.7K MX$413.0K

$43.0K ₺2.0M

-44.88%

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

$82.0 MX$1,430

$56.2 ₺2,661

45.99%

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

$22.73 MX$396

$9.43 ₺446

141.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$513

$11.82 ₺559

148.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$910

$55.0 ₺2,605

-5.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$322

$37.39 ₺1,770

-50.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$7.82 ₺370

-36.96%

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

$202 MX$3,519

$365 ₺17.3K

-44.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.0K

$18.1K ₺855.6K

-71.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$627

$56.1 ₺2,655

-35.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$703

$44.16 ₺2,091

-8.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,393

$101 ₺4,804

-21.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,557

$79.8 ₺3,777

11.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$446 ₺21.1K

112.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,114

$344 ₺16.3K

35.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$815 ₺38.6K

99.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$527 ₺25.0K

126.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.6K

$1,320 ₺62.5K

197.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.1K

$1,204 ₺57.0K

434.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

$1,006 ₺47.6K

-34.54%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Bursa: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Playa del Carmen and $446 in Bursa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bursa pays 53% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Bursa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $224 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 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 53% 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: $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $446 in Bursa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,078 in Bursa versus $1,259 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 17% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.