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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $809 in Quatre Bornes, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,288 in Quatre Bornes, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,767 in Quatre Bornes, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 56% 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 7% lower, Quatre Bornes 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.41 MUR 208

163.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$21.25 MUR 1,001

121.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.44 MUR 303

84.47%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.39 MUR 113

66.53%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.88 MUR 41.28

62.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.49 MUR 23.01

67.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.69 MUR 127

18.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.30 MUR 156

105.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.31 MUR 61.5

28.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.50 MUR 23.69

340.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.15 MUR 54.0

48.70%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.94 MUR 91.6

41.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$2.91 MUR 137

229.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.80 MUR 179

137.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$8.47 MUR 399

51.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.74 MUR 129

5.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.60 MUR 122

-42.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.44 MUR 67.9

49.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$3.00 MUR 142

-24.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.94 MUR 44.14

110.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.94 MUR 44.22

111.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.70 MUR 33.20

75.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.90 MUR 42.32

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$6.10 MUR 287

-25.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$8.51 MUR 401

21.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.63 MUR 76.9

-0.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.26 MUR 107

27.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.73 MUR 34.29

-17.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$4.35 MUR 205

23.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$3.24 MUR 153

15.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$20.85 MUR 983

-72.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.33 MUR 62.7

15.79%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$19.1K MUR 899.8K

18.11%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$28.1K MUR 1.3M

-7.18%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$31.75 MUR 1,497

187.81%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$10.51 MUR 495

139.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$29.29 MUR 1,380

6.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$28.84 MUR 1,359

133.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$8.27 MUR 390

252.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$6.20 MUR 292

-21.61%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$121 MUR 5,692

85.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$7,798 MUR 367.5K

-45.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$77.4 MUR 3,649

-39.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$73.9 MUR 3,481

-40.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$119 MUR 5,606

-32.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$76.7 MUR 3,614

20.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$324 MUR 15.3K

228.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$222 MUR 10.5K

75.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$655 MUR 30.9K

228.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$440 MUR 20.8K

188.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,128 MUR 53.1K

254.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$513 MUR 24.2K

47.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.67

71.66%

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 Quatre Bornes: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $324 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 48% 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 $21.00 in Quatre Bornes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $182 – 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 56%, 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 $1,214 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $809 in Quatre Bornes. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $121 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 $809, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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.