Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and New Providence

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,187 in New Providence, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 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

New Providence

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$2,187

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in New Providence

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,187 in New Providence, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
New Providence $2,187

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,301 in New Providence, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
New Providence $5,301

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $8,414 in New Providence, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
New Providence $8,414

Playa del Carmen is about 45% cheaper than New Providence, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while New Providence is 61% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$76.1 BSD 76.1

-85.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$813

$151 BSD 151

-71.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.4

$5.63 BSD 5.63

-32.33%

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

$1.28 MX$24.03

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.67

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

$2.08 BSD 2.08

-32.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.54

$5.13 BSD 5.13

-56.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.56

$5.02 BSD 5.02

-71.71%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.27

$9.84 BSD 9.84

-74.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$20.21 BSD 20.21

-64.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$9.96 BSD 9.96

-22.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$19.88 BSD 19.88

-36.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.2

$4.31 BSD 4.31

-35.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.64

$5.97 BSD 5.97

-77.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.80

$6.80 BSD 6.80

-62.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.78

$3.91 BSD 3.91

-45.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.32

$4.12 BSD 4.12

-52.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.34

$3.07 BSD 3.07

-38.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.49

$3.08 BSD 3.08

-62.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.09

$3.07 BSD 3.07

-61.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.5

$15.30 BSD 15.30

-71.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$186

$25.49 BSD 25.49

-60.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.67

$3.88 BSD 3.88

-59.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$4.04 BSD 4.04

-33.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.4

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.06

$1.76 BSD 1.76

-18.18%

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

$20.7K MX$387.3K

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

$23.5K MX$439.7K

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

$84.8 MX$1,589

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

$23.41 MX$439

$40.64 BSD 40.64

-42.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$537

$99.7 BSD 99.7

-71.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,069

$74.4 BSD 74.4

-23.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.3

$15.16 BSD 15.16

-66.09%

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

$207 MX$3,871

$1,504 BSD 1,504

-86.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.6K

$14.9K BSD 14.9K

-73.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$812

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$777

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,390

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,672

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$1,526 BSD 1,526

-35.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,136

$714 BSD 714

-46.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

$4,503 BSD 4,503

-76.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

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 New Providence: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

New Providence

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

New Providence

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

New Providence

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

New Providence

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

New Providence

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

New Providence

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

New Providence

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,526 in New Providence. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $151 in New Providence. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $552 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇸 New Providence

🕒 Local time

09:33 9:33 AM

Same time as Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

296,522

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Bahamian Dollar BSD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 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 = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 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

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen New Providence 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
New Providence

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 New Providence: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Providence costs about 82% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,281 in New Providence. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,526 in New Providence.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $2,187 in New Providence. That makes Playa del Carmen about 45% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,504 in New Providence. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in New Providence at $2,187. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Providence it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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