Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Le Bardo Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Le Bardo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $688 in Le Bardo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,078 in Le Bardo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,469 in Le Bardo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 87% more than Le Bardo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Le Bardo are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Le Bardo 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$3.31 TND 9.56

260.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$25.25 TND 73.0

69.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$4.66 TND 13.46

127.25%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.07 TND 3.09

238.32%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.59 TND 1.71

149.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.26 TND 0.74

261.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.73 TND 5.01

78.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.40 TND 6.94

85.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.50 TND 1.44

186.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.19 TND 0.56

889.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.55 TND 4.48

5.16%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.56 TND 4.51

69.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$10.30 TND 29.77

-20.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.55 TND 16.03

49.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$13.28 TND 38.39

-16.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.01 TND 5.81

31.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.99 TND 8.65

-49.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.01 TND 2.92

97.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.74 TND 2.14

181.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.75 TND 2.16

138.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.72 TND 2.09

202.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.52 TND 1.49

107.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.34 TND 0.97

205.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.47 TND 10.04

14.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$5.28 TND 15.25

93.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.33 TND 3.85

30.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.10 TND 3.17

127.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.32 TND 0.94

62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$9.98 TND 28.85

170.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.32 TND 0.93

881.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.31 TND 0.89

674.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$3.42 TND 9.88

-9.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.84 TND 2.42

51.19%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$36.7K TND 106.1K

-15.88%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$38.5K TND 111.2K

-39.41%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$58.8 TND 170

39.43%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$10.06 TND 29.08

123.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$21.35 TND 61.7

38.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$41.73 TND 121

24.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$11.99 TND 34.66

55.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.39 TND 15.59

-7.79%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$109 TND 316

80.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$2,831 TND 8,180

86.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$45.03 TND 130

-19.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$44.33 TND 128

-9.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$95.8 TND 277

-16.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$79.3 TND 229

12.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$248 TND 718

287.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$151 TND 436

208.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$406 TND 1,174

292.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$259 TND 749

366.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$965 TND 2,788

308.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$650 TND 1,880

891.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$390 TND 1,126

84.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.82%

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 Le Bardo: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $248 in Le Bardo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 85% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $25.00 in Le Bardo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $183 – making Le Bardo 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 Le Bardo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 87%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,031 in Le Bardo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Le Bardo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $25.00 in Le Bardo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Le Bardo, where all-in costs run around $688, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Le Bardo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Le Bardo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Le Bardo. 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.