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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $725 in Le Bardo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,114 in Le Bardo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,502 in Le Bardo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 75% 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 7% lower, Le Bardo 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.46 TND 10.02

235.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$21.94 TND 63.6

114.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$5.29 TND 15.35

124.57%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.07 TND 3.10

271.96%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.65 TND 1.88

120.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.26 TND 0.75

215.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.69 TND 4.90

88.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.35 TND 6.83

188.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$0.51 TND 1.48

229.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.25 TND 0.73

780.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.33 TND 3.86

28.57%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.65 TND 4.78

66.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$10.20 TND 29.59

-6.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.68 TND 16.46

58.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$14.14 TND 41.02

-9.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.87 TND 5.42

54.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$3.11 TND 9.01

-51.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.12 TND 3.26

91.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$0.75 TND 2.18

201.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.87 TND 2.52

127.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.83 TND 2.40

139.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.54 TND 1.57

127.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.34 TND 0.99

252.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$3.80 TND 11.03

19.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$6.72 TND 19.49

54.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.29 TND 3.74

25.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.10 TND 3.19

161.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.33 TND 0.96

81.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$10.17 TND 29.50

183.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.34 TND 0.99

1485.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.33 TND 0.95

1030.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$1.90 TND 5.51

203.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.86 TND 2.49

79.07%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$38.1K TND 110.5K

-40.80%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$38.0K TND 110.1K

-31.37%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$65.4 TND 190

39.68%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$9.54 TND 27.68

164.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$20.61 TND 59.8

51.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$42.66 TND 124

57.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$14.29 TND 41.43

103.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.56 TND 16.13

-12.59%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$99.1 TND 287

125.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$2,853 TND 8,274

48.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$51.8 TND 150

-9.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$37.29 TND 108

18.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$111 TND 321

-27.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$87.4 TND 254

6.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$254 TND 735

319.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$153 TND 443

155.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$407 TND 1,180

428.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$257 TND 746

394.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$977 TND 2,833

309.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$644 TND 1,868

909.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$388 TND 1,127

95.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.09%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Le Bardo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $254 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 95% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $22.00 in Le Bardo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $190 – 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 75%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,088 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 45% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $22.00 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 $725, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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.