Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cox's Bazar Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cox's Bazar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $303 in Cox's Bazar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $516 in Cox's Bazar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $729 in Cox's Bazar.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 325% more expensive than Cox's Bazar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Cox's Bazar 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$1.61 ৳198

641.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$12.33 ৳1,517

246.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$3.00 ৳369

253.00%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 ৳711

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 ৳298

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$1.60 ৳197

126.25%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.36 ৳44.25

308.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.12 ৳15.12

683.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$0.79 ৳97.0

81.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.50 ৳61.6

276.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$0.48 ৳59.5

239.58%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$1.05 ৳129

151.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$8.87 ৳1,092

-7.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$1.62 ৳199

411.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$6.97 ৳858

59.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$2.27 ৳280

16.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.00 ৳123

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.63 ৳201

22.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$0.31 ৳38.70

570.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$0.17 ৳20.57

952.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$0.39 ৳47.60

458.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.40 ৳49.42

170.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.27 ৳33.40

285.19%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$6.44 ৳793

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 ৳309

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ৳414

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$1.89 ৳232

110.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.20 ৳24.55

160.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$10.17 ৳1,251

165.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$0.28 ৳34.19

1021.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.36 ৳43.90

566.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$2.51 ৳309

23.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.04 ৳128

22.12%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$32.7K ৳4.0M

-5.53%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$33.8K ৳4.2M

-31.02%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$12.14 ৳1,494

575.54%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$2.64 ৳325

750.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$11.27 ৳1,387

163.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$16.16 ৳1,989

220.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$11.71 ৳1,441

59.44%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$2.39 ৳294

107.95%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$24.31 ৳2,991

713.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$1,376 ৳169.3K

283.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$20.19 ৳2,484

79.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$18.10 ৳2,227

121.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$33.00 ৳4,060

142.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$34.09 ৳4,194

160.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$68.6 ৳8,439

1304.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$41.65 ৳5,125

1015.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$305 ৳37.5K

423.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$97.6 ৳12.0K

1138.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$602 ৳74.1K

554.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$392 ৳48.2K

1545.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$288 ৳35.4K

150.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.67

-2.14%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Cox's Bazar: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $68.6 in Cox's Bazar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 150% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $12.00 in Cox's Bazar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $106 per month, with Cox's Bazar 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 Cox's Bazar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Cox's Bazar differ by about 325% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $303 including rent). Cox's Bazar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 150% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $68.6 in Cox's Bazar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cox's Bazar runs roughly 165% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $24.31 in Cox's Bazar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $303 in Cox's Bazar versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cox's Bazar but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cox's Bazar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Cox's Bazar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 325% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.