Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Quatre Bornes Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Quatre Bornes

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $843 in Quatre Bornes, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,349 in Quatre Bornes, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,084 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,855 in Quatre Bornes, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 53% more than Quatre Bornes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Quatre Bornes are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Quatre Bornes 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$3.82 MUR 179

207.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$21.71 MUR 1,019

92.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$5.60 MUR 263

85.89%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$2.56 MUR 120

41.02%

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

$1.46 MX$25.07

$0.79 MUR 37.32

84.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.31 MUR 14.78

212.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$2.23 MUR 105

30.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.6

$3.39 MUR 159

36.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.35 MUR 63.6

5.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.72

$0.52 MUR 24.47

265.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.96

$1.28 MUR 60.3

22.66%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.36

$2.14 MUR 100

23.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$3.03 MUR 143

178.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$3.86 MUR 181

122.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$8.96 MUR 421

22.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.52

$1.72 MUR 81.0

56.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.93

$1.71 MUR 80.4

-11.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.95

$1.45 MUR 68.3

31.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.39

$2.61 MUR 123

-16.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.27

$1.00 MUR 47.19

87.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.44

$0.92 MUR 43.28

142.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.61

$0.85 MUR 40.14

27.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.81 MUR 37.98

32.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$6.14 MUR 288

-32.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$8.40 MUR 394

22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.96

$0.86 MUR 40.34

95.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.60

$1.45 MUR 68.2

74.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.79 MUR 36.92

-30.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.1

$4.32 MUR 203

-25.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.38

$2.63 MUR 123

-6.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.1

$20.01 MUR 940

-84.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.47 MUR 68.9

-10.20%

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

$30.2K MX$519.0K

$20.1K MUR 946.2K

49.65%

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

$23.4K MX$402.7K

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

-19.48%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$43.13 MUR 2,025

88.62%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$10.86 MUR 510

106.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$31.66 MUR 1,487

-5.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$29.34 MUR 1,378

75.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$317

$8.86 MUR 416

107.56%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$6.03 MUR 283

-14.43%

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

$202 MX$3,473

$127 MUR 5,979

58.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$4,029 MUR 189.2K

31.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$86.2 MUR 4,047

-58.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$80.1 MUR 3,763

-49.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$130 MUR 6,097

-39.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$95.3 MUR 4,476

-8.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.4K

$349 MUR 16.4K

172.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,230

$260 MUR 12.2K

83.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$599 MUR 28.1K

170.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$498 MUR 23.4K

145.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$1,134 MUR 53.2K

253.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$512 MUR 24.0K

31.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.46

76.78%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Quatre Bornes: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $349 in Quatre Bornes. 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 31% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $22.00 in Quatre Bornes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $168 – making Quatre Bornes 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 Quatre Bornes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 53%, 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 $1,941 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,265 in Quatre Bornes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,294 in Playa del Carmen and $843 in Quatre Bornes. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $202 per month in Playa del Carmen and $127 in Quatre Bornes. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Quatre Bornes, where all-in costs run around $843, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,294. In Quatre Bornes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quatre Bornes – 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 Quatre Bornes. 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.