Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Crooked Island

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,193 in Crooked Island, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Crooked Island

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$2,193

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Crooked Island

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Crooked Island actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,193 in Crooked Island.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Crooked Island $2,193

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,537 in Crooked Island.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Crooked Island $3,537

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,882 in Crooked Island.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Crooked Island $4,882

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 45% less than in Crooked Island, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Crooked Island is 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$49.20 BSD 49.20

-77.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$13.18 BSD 13.18

-10.62%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$4.02 BSD 4.02

-5.22%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$4.03 BSD 4.03

-68.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$1.98 BSD 1.98

-60.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$5.10 BSD 5.10

-37.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$5.14 BSD 5.14

-4.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$7.91 BSD 7.91

-82.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$5.89 BSD 5.89

-62.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$3.56 BSD 3.56

-60.11%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$11.43 BSD 11.43

-77.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$13.07 BSD 13.07

-44.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$7.90 BSD 7.90

60.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$14.30 BSD 14.30

-80.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$1.22 BSD 1.22

109.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$11.97 BSD 11.97

-82.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$2.18 BSD 2.18

-11.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$2.85 BSD 2.85

-33.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$0.98 BSD 0.98

17.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$2.04 BSD 2.04

-42.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$29.46 BSD 29.46

-66.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$4.91 BSD 4.91

-67.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$4.87 BSD 4.87

-45.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$2.02 BSD 2.02

64.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$217 BSD 217

-61.00%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$60.7 BSD 60.7

-61.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$68.9 BSD 68.9

-58.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

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

$207 MX$3,882

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$81.0 BSD 81.0

-46.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$49.30 BSD 49.30

-15.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$246 BSD 246

-69.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$100 BSD 100

-11.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$554 BSD 554

76.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$549 BSD 549

-30.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$1,583 BSD 1,583

7.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$1,623 BSD 1,623

-33.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$1,109 BSD 1,109

-33.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Crooked Island: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Crooked Island

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Crooked Island

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Crooked Island

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Crooked Island

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Crooked Island

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Crooked Island

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Crooked Island

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $554 in Crooked Island. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Crooked Island pays 51% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇸 Crooked Island

🕒 Local time

03:35 3:35 AM

Same time as Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

240

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Bahamian Dollar BSD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 BSD = 1 USD

1 BSD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BSD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Bahamian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BSD (1 BSD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BSD (1 BSD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Crooked Island 1,350 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Crooked Island

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Crooked Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $2,193 in Crooked Island, so Playa del Carmen is about 45% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $554 in Crooked Island. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 108% higher in Crooked Island. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,193 in Crooked Island – Playa del Carmen is about 45% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,193 in Crooked Island, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Crooked Island. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Crooked Island on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.