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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $681 in Le Bardo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,069 in Le Bardo, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,457 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 5% lower, Le Bardo 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.47 TND 10.11

242.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$25.50 TND 74.4

68.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.72 TND 13.76

125.64%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.07 TND 3.13

222.43%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.60 TND 1.75

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.26 TND 0.75

265.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.68 TND 4.89

80.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.35 TND 6.86

96.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.49 TND 1.42

181.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.18 TND 0.52

927.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.48 TND 4.33

8.78%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.48 TND 4.32

75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.40 TND 30.33

-20.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.58 TND 16.28

50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$13.76 TND 40.14

-22.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.08 TND 6.08

26.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$3.05 TND 8.90

-51.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.00 TND 2.92

92.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.71 TND 2.07

194.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.74 TND 2.15

151.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.77 TND 2.24

193.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.49 TND 1.42

116.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.33 TND 0.97

230.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.63 TND 10.59

14.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.26 TND 15.34

97.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.28 TND 3.72

34.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.05 TND 3.06

148.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.32 TND 0.94

68.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$10.12 TND 29.53

166.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.32 TND 0.94

878.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.33 TND 0.96

660.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$3.36 TND 9.81

-6.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.85 TND 2.47

49.41%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$37.7K TND 109.8K

-19.33%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$38.5K TND 112.2K

-38.73%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$59.1 TND 172

40.44%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$9.86 TND 28.76

130.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$20.75 TND 60.5

41.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$42.01 TND 123

21.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$11.79 TND 34.38

55.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.56 TND 16.22

-11.33%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$107 TND 311

85.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$2,866 TND 8,362

84.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$44.93 TND 131

-17.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$43.69 TND 127

-8.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$95.6 TND 279

-16.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$81.4 TND 237

9.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$244 TND 711

292.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$153 TND 447

211.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$397 TND 1,158

314.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$258 TND 754

374.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$959 TND 2,798

308.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$635 TND 1,853

917.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$389 TND 1,136

71.30%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Le Bardo: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $244 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 71% 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: $250 vs $184 – 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,021 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 36% 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 $681, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.