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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $296 in Cox's Bazar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $512 in Cox's Bazar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $728 in Cox's Bazar.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 326% more expensive than in Cox's Bazar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Cox's Bazar 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$1.59 ৳197

637.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$12.43 ৳1,536

237.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$3.02 ৳373

248.01%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.77 ৳713

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 ৳300

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.66 ৳205

116.27%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.38 ৳47.57

297.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.13 ৳16.07

607.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$0.73 ৳89.9

91.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.47 ৳58.1

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$0.48 ৳59.8

225.00%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.01 ৳125

158.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$8.89 ৳1,098

-6.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$1.69 ৳209

394.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.03 ৳869

54.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.29 ৳283

18.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$0.96 ৳119

57.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.62 ৳200

15.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.34 ৳42.48

544.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.20 ৳24.42

830.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.38 ৳47.37

486.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.41 ৳50.5

160.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.25 ৳30.83

336.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.74 ৳956

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 ৳311

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 ৳419

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$1.89 ৳233

121.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.22 ৳27.21

145.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$10.19 ৳1,260

156.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.30 ৳37.16

926.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.36 ৳44.01

566.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$2.50 ৳309

25.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.06 ৳131

23.58%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$32.6K ৳4.0M

-8.47%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$34.3K ৳4.2M

-31.95%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$12.45 ৳1,539

552.85%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$2.59 ৳320

771.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$11.58 ৳1,431

159.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$16.15 ৳1,995

227.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$11.93 ৳1,474

54.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$2.42 ৳299

103.31%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$25.10 ৳3,101

700.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$1,356 ৳167.6K

281.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$20.51 ৳2,534

75.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$18.26 ৳2,256

119.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$32.61 ৳4,029

144.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$33.22 ৳4,105

160.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$68.9 ৳8,511

1320.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$41.82 ৳5,168

1025.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$311 ৳38.4K

430.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$98.3 ৳12.1K

1124.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$354 ৳43.7K

1017.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$264 ৳32.6K

2402.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$287 ৳35.4K

135.91%

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: July 27, 2026

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $68.9 in Cox's Bazar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 136% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $12.00 in Cox's Bazar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 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 326% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $296 including rent). Cox's Bazar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 136% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $68.9 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 157% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $25.10 in Cox's Bazar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $296 in Cox's Bazar versus $1,260 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 326% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.