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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $861 in Quatre Bornes, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,336 in Quatre Bornes, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,811 in Quatre Bornes, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 48% 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 5% lower, Quatre Bornes 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.92 MUR 184

202.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$21.91 MUR 1,032

95.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.61 MUR 264

89.84%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.54 MUR 120

35.83%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.80 MUR 37.66

87.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.34 MUR 16.12

179.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.21 MUR 104

37.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.32 MUR 156

38.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.36 MUR 63.9

1.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.56 MUR 26.44

230.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.34 MUR 62.9

20.15%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.05 MUR 96.5

26.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$3.15 MUR 148

162.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.90 MUR 184

114.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.83 MUR 416

20.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.73 MUR 81.4

52.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.73 MUR 81.7

-13.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.50 MUR 70.8

28.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.71 MUR 128

-22.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.02 MUR 48.14

82.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.93 MUR 43.71

143.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.78 MUR 36.79

35.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.82 MUR 38.45

32.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$6.02 MUR 283

-31.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.45 MUR 398

22.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.85 MUR 40.10

102.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.39 MUR 65.4

87.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.78 MUR 36.74

-30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$4.42 MUR 208

-29.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.60 MUR 122

-3.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$19.90 MUR 937

-84.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.47 MUR 69.2

-13.61%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$20.0K MUR 943.3K

51.63%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$29.0K MUR 1.4M

-18.61%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$43.37 MUR 2,042

91.38%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$11.20 MUR 527

102.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$31.92 MUR 1,503

-7.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$29.98 MUR 1,412

70.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$8.95 MUR 422

104.80%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.93 MUR 279

-16.86%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$123 MUR 5,788

60.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,974 MUR 187.1K

32.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$86.6 MUR 4,079

-57.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$79.0 MUR 3,719

-49.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$134 MUR 6,328

-40.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$94.3 MUR 4,443

-5.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$358 MUR 16.9K

166.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$262 MUR 12.3K

82.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$584 MUR 27.5K

181.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$507 MUR 23.9K

141.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,119 MUR 52.7K

250.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$519 MUR 24.5K

28.42%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Quatre Bornes: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $358 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 28% 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: $250 vs $169 – 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 48%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,292 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $861 in Quatre Bornes. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $123 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 $861, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.