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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $860 in Quatre Bornes, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,336 in Quatre Bornes, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,813 in Quatre Bornes, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 50% 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 4% lower, Quatre Bornes 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$3.96 MUR 185

201.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$21.85 MUR 1,022

95.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$5.51 MUR 258

92.20%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.47 MUR 115

46.56%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.75 MUR 35.02

96.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.32 MUR 14.82

193.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$2.15 MUR 101

43.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$3.26 MUR 152

36.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.35 MUR 63.3

5.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.56 MUR 26.26

235.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.27 MUR 59.6

28.35%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.11 MUR 98.5

25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$3.13 MUR 146

162.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$4.02 MUR 188

106.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$8.71 MUR 407

27.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$1.74 MUR 81.2

52.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.79 MUR 83.6

-16.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.43 MUR 66.7

39.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$2.63 MUR 123

-20.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$0.96 MUR 44.69

86.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.01 MUR 47.07

115.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.84 MUR 39.18

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.75 MUR 35.14

38.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$6.03 MUR 282

-34.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$8.64 MUR 404

18.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$0.85 MUR 39.51

103.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$1.47 MUR 68.7

70.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.76 MUR 35.42

-31.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$4.31 MUR 201

-27.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$2.61 MUR 122

-8.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$19.55 MUR 914

-84.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.40 MUR 65.6

-9.29%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$19.6K MUR 915.9K

57.63%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

-19.82%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$43.75 MUR 2,045

87.45%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$10.82 MUR 506

107.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$31.70 MUR 1,482

-6.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$29.16 MUR 1,363

77.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$9.00 MUR 421

107.44%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$6.11 MUR 285

-18.66%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$126 MUR 5,873

57.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$3,986 MUR 186.4K

32.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$84.8 MUR 3,963

-57.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$80.4 MUR 3,758

-50.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$131 MUR 6,122

-39.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$96.4 MUR 4,507

-7.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$354 MUR 16.6K

171.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$262 MUR 12.2K

77.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$596 MUR 27.9K

167.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$513 MUR 24.0K

135.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$1,149 MUR 53.7K

243.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$520 MUR 24.3K

38.42%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Quatre Bornes: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $354 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 38% 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 $22.00 in Quatre Bornes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 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 50%, 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 $1,290 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $860 in Quatre Bornes. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $126 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 $860, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.