Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,215
/mo nomad
Dhaka
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$426
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Dhaka

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 Dhaka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $426 in Dhaka.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,215
  • Dhaka $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,144 in Playa del Carmen versus $735 in Dhaka.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,144
  • Dhaka $735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,072 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,043 in Dhaka.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,072
  • Dhaka $1,043

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 185% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Dhaka 68% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Dhaka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.97 MX$201
$2.49 ৳305
340.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.85 MX$823
$13.06 ৳1,604
243.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.92 MX$219
$4.83 ৳594
146.79%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$4.93 ৳606
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.10 ৳504
-
Cappuccino
$3.80 MX$69.9
$2.34 ৳287
62.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 MX$24.08
$0.30 ৳37.38
336.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 MX$15.72
$0.16 ৳19.96
437.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.21 MX$59.0
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.01 MX$92.0
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Dhaka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 MX$26.77
$0.80 ৳98.1
82.50%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 MX$42.72
$0.65 ৳79.3
258.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.48
$0.71 ৳87.2
102.82%
Eggs
$2.46 MX$45.20
$1.21 ৳149
103.31%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.70 MX$141
$8.67 ৳1,065
-11.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.89 MX$145
$3.21 ৳395
145.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.80 MX$235
$6.70 ৳823
91.04%
Apples (1kg)
$2.92 MX$53.6
$2.73 ৳335
6.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.11
$0.88 ৳108
61.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.57 MX$47.10
$2.37 ৳291
8.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.24
$0.65 ৳79.5
229.23%
Potato (1kg)
$1.95 MX$35.75
$0.24 ৳29.19
712.50%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 MX$35.55
$0.49 ৳60.6
295.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.13
$0.32 ৳38.87
259.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 MX$22.42
$0.30 ৳37.30
306.67%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$12.07 ৳1,483
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$5.51 ৳677
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$6.66 ৳818
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.38 MX$80.3
$3.23 ৳396
35.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.85 MX$181
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 MX$28.23
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72 MX$49.86
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Dhaka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.52 MX$9.64
$0.42 ৳52.1
23.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.42 MX$503
$22.54 ৳2,769
21.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.91 MX$90.2
$1.19 ৳147
312.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.52 MX$64.7
$0.40 ৳48.58
780.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.69 MX$104
$3.35 ৳411
69.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 MX$28.27
$1.15 ৳141
33.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$389.9K
$30.3K ৳3.7M
-29.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$449.6K
$33.0K ৳4.1M
-25.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Dhaka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.6 MX$1,535
$46.32 ৳5,690
80.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.03 MX$441
$4.33 ৳531
454.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.33 MX$539
$10.63 ৳1,306
175.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Dhaka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.9 MX$1,191
$16.37 ৳2,011
296.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.46 MX$541
$16.14 ৳1,982
82.53%
Cinema Ticket
$5.09 MX$93.4
$4.13 ৳508
23.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Dhaka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$208 MX$3,813
$90.7 ৳11.1K
128.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,045 MX$74.3K
$2,649 ৳325.4K
52.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Dhaka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.55 MX$818
$16.48 ৳2,024
170.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.06 MX$772
$21.00 ৳2,579
100.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.5 MX$1,387
$50.3 ৳6,173
50.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.4 MX$1,678
$36.46 ৳4,478
150.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Dhaka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$986 MX$18.1K
$152 ৳18.6K
550.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$385 MX$7,072
$73.6 ৳9,041
423.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,713 MX$31.5K
$436 ৳53.5K
293.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,108 MX$20.4K
$214 ৳26.3K
418.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,016 MX$73.7K
$1,622 ৳199.2K
147.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,247 MX$114.7K
$761 ৳93.5K
720.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Dhaka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$758 MX$13.9K
$249 ৳30.6K
204.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
10.48
9.26%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$385
Dhaka
$74 80.9% $312
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$260
Dhaka
$123 52.9% $138
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$204
Dhaka
$64 68.5% $140
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Dhaka
$61 55.3% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$114
Dhaka
$56 51% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$75
Dhaka
$25 67.2% $50
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$52
Dhaka
$27 47.3% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Playa del Carmen and $152 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 204% 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: $45.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇧🇩 Dhaka
🕒 Local time
03:38 3:38 AM
14:38 2:38 PM
11 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
21,741,000 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Dhaka 15,070 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Dhaka

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 Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dhaka cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 185% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Playa del Carmen or Dhaka?
Average pay runs 204% 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.
What is the rent difference between Playa del Carmen and Dhaka?
Rent for a central apartment: $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $152 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Dhaka?
All in, you'll spend $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $426 in Dhaka – a 185% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 22% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Dhaka?
At $426 in Dhaka versus $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Playa del Carmen or Dhaka more family-friendly?
For families, Dhaka is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 185% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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