Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Quatre Bornes

For one person, living is cheaper in Quatre Bornes: $803 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Quatre Bornes, Mauritius
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Quatre Bornes
🇲🇺 Mauritius
$803
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Quatre Bornes

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 Quatre Bornes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $803 in Quatre Bornes, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Quatre Bornes $803

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,274 in Quatre Bornes, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Quatre Bornes $1,274

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,746 in Quatre Bornes, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Quatre Bornes $1,746

Playa del Carmen costs about 50% more than Quatre Bornes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Quatre Bornes are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Quatre Bornes 41% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Quatre Bornes
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$4.56 MUR 215
139.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$814
$20.89 MUR 984
107.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$6.28 MUR 296
87.58%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.5
$2.42 MUR 114
57.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.07
$0.83 MUR 38.90
54.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.70
$0.52 MUR 24.38
50.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.5
$2.69 MUR 127
17.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
$3.45 MUR 163
42.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Quatre Bornes
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.40
$1.24 MUR 58.6
13.71%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.62
$0.50 MUR 23.34
344.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.61
$1.15 MUR 54.0
23.48%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.36
$1.97 MUR 92.9
27.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$136
$3.02 MUR 143
140.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$144
$3.71 MUR 175
107.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$238
$8.50 MUR 401
49.29%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.3
$2.78 MUR 131
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.68
$2.70 MUR 127
-49.26%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.89
$1.44 MUR 68.0
77.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.86
$3.05 MUR 144
-30.49%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.39
$0.96 MUR 45.26
102.08%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.41
$0.96 MUR 45.39
96.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.53
$0.75 MUR 35.14
53.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.13
$0.90 MUR 42.24
31.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.6
$5.84 MUR 275
-26.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$187
$8.33 MUR 393
19.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.73
$1.69 MUR 79.5
-6.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.1
$2.32 MUR 109
15.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Quatre Bornes
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.39
$0.77 MUR 36.27
-28.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$500
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.3
$4.37 MUR 206
13.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.5
$3.15 MUR 148
5.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$101
$20.89 MUR 984
-74.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.11
$1.37 MUR 64.6
5.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$388.0K
$19.2K MUR 907.2K
7.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$440.5K
$27.3K MUR 1.3M
-14.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Quatre Bornes
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,592
$31.40 MUR 1,480
170.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$439
$10.50 MUR 495
122.95%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$538
$28.99 MUR 1,366
-1.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Quatre Bornes
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,071
$28.91 MUR 1,362
97.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$543
$8.38 MUR 395
244.99%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.5
$6.33 MUR 298
-18.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Quatre Bornes
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,878
$121 MUR 5,701
70.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.7K
$7,839 MUR 369.4K
-49.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Quatre Bornes
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$814
$77.0 MUR 3,629
-43.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$778
$75.7 MUR 3,567
-45.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,393
$119 MUR 5,616
-37.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,676
$77.6 MUR 3,657
15.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Quatre Bornes
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
$322 MUR 15.2K
203.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,150
$218 MUR 10.3K
74.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.1K
$657 MUR 30.9K
160.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.2K
$436 MUR 20.5K
146.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$74.0K
$1,129 MUR 53.2K
249.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Quatre Bornes
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
$527 MUR 24.8K
39.46%
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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Quatre Bornes: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Quatre Bornes
$218 42.8% $163
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Quatre Bornes
$182 28.4% $72
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Quatre Bornes
$110 45.6% $92
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Quatre Bornes
$71 48.2% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Quatre Bornes
$157 40.8% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Quatre Bornes
$42 38.3% $26
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Quatre Bornes
$23 * 54.1% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $322 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 39% 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 in Playa del Carmen versus $21 in Quatre Bornes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $182 – making Quatre Bornes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇲🇺 Quatre Bornes
🕒 Local time
21:58 9:58 PM
06:58 6:58 AM
9 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
81,773
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 47.13 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.62 MUR (100 MUR = 1.9 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Quatre Bornes 16,330 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Quatre Bornes

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 Quatre Bornes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Quatre Bornes cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,204 in Quatre Bornes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Quatre Bornes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $322 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Quatre Bornes?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $803 in Quatre Bornes. That makes Quatre Bornes about 33% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $207 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.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Quatre Bornes?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Quatre Bornes, where all-in costs run around $803, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Quatre Bornes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Quatre Bornes more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Quatre Bornes. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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