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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,128 in Buzias, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,753 in Buzias, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,378 in Buzias, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 11% more than Buzias, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Playa del Carmen and Buzias are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Buzias 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$11.34 RON 52.1

5.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$57.8 RON 265

-27.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$8.13 RON 37.33

32.23%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.42 RON 15.68

2.34%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$2.32 RON 10.63

-37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$2.13 RON 9.76

-58.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$3.15 RON 14.45

-6.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.94 RON 18.06

14.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.70 RON 7.80

-15.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.35 RON 6.18

36.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.88 RON 8.62

-16.49%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$3.22 RON 14.78

-22.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.13 RON 46.48

-18.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$7.16 RON 32.89

17.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$11.97 RON 54.9

-10.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.24 RON 5.69

110.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.72 RON 7.90

-16.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.62 RON 7.46

20.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.28 RON 10.48

-8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.94 RON 4.32

96.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.94 RON 4.31

130.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.08 RON 4.98

-4.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.87 RON 3.98

22.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$6.29 RON 28.85

-34.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$8.00 RON 36.70

27.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.12 RON 5.15

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.95 RON 8.93

29.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.70 RON 3.22

-27.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$19.81 RON 90.9

31.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.93 RON 4.26

247.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.86 RON 3.96

180.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$9.57 RON 43.91

-66.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.69 RON 7.75

-21.89%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$28.1K RON 129.1K

5.57%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$26.9K RON 123.5K

-12.04%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$159 RON 728

-48.31%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$8.71 RON 39.98

163.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$9.71 RON 44.56

210.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$41.63 RON 191

24.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$19.24 RON 88.3

-3.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$7.96 RON 36.55

-37.44%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$485 RON 2,227

-59.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$10.8K RON 49.8K

-50.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$70.2 RON 322

-49.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$40.70 RON 187

-0.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$84.0 RON 386

-6.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$98.6 RON 453

-9.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$387 RON 1,775

144.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$287 RON 1,316

65.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$590 RON 2,708

178.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$430 RON 1,972

181.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,727 RON 7,926

134.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,225 RON 5,623

428.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.85

95.21%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Buzias: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $387 in Buzias. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $58.0 in Buzias. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $232 in Buzias – so Buzias wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Buzias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 11%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,692 in Buzias. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Buzias, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 31% less in Buzias. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $485 in Buzias. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Buzias, where all-in costs run around $1,128, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Buzias it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Buzias – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Buzias. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.