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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $413 in Byumba, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $646 in Byumba, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $880 in Byumba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 214% more than Byumba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Byumba are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Byumba 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$2.32 RWF 3,408

404.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$27.63 RWF 40.5K

68.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$6.68 RWF 9,791

74.40%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$2.34 RWF 3,432

74.79%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.77 RWF 1,136

77.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.54 RWF 794

53.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$1.05 RWF 1,533

219.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.62 RWF 3,847

163.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$0.74 RWF 1,080

133.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$1.03 RWF 1,513

119.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$1.31 RWF 1,926

35.11%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$1.61 RWF 2,355

69.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$4.29 RWF 6,296

113.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$4.43 RWF 6,499

101.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$4.24 RWF 6,209

197.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$2.43 RWF 3,570

24.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$0.83 RWF 1,219

89.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$1.54 RWF 2,254

38.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$0.99 RWF 1,456

128.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$0.50 RWF 738

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$0.72 RWF 1,060

186.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.68 RWF 1,001

73.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.80 RWF 1,178

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$2.03 RWF 2,969

128.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$10.26 RWF 15.0K

4.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$0.90 RWF 1,317

80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$1.60 RWF 2,345

80.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$2.78 RWF 4,070

96.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$1.99 RWF 2,918

85.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$3.42 RWF 5,007

74.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$1.79 RWF 2,624

-13.41%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$26.1K RWF 38.3M

-14.47%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$30.1K RWF 44.1M

-13.73%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$85.2 RWF 124.9K

4.64%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$7.12 RWF 10.4K

251.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$20.95 RWF 30.7K

50.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$3.39 RWF 4,969

48.97%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$114 RWF 167.8K

96.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$6,675 RWF 9.8M

-36.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$17.30 RWF 25.4K

174.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$15.37 RWF 22.5K

192.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$22.50 RWF 33.0K

264.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$33.35 RWF 48.9K

176.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

16.2

-29.32%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Byumba: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $28.00 in Byumba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $149 – making Byumba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Byumba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 214% more than Byumba, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $619 in Byumba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $28.00 in Byumba. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 86% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Byumba, where all-in costs run around $413, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. In Byumba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Byumba costs $413 versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Byumba. 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.