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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $874 in Quatre Bornes, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,348 in Quatre Bornes, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,823 in Quatre Bornes, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 44% 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 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$3.95 MUR 185

196.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$22.29 MUR 1,044

87.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.53 MUR 259

90.05%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.47 MUR 116

45.34%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.76 MUR 35.37

98.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.32 MUR 14.83

187.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.21 MUR 104

33.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.36 MUR 157

31.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.29 MUR 60.3

8.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.51 MUR 24.08

268.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.27 MUR 59.3

22.83%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.10 MUR 98.4

24.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$3.06 MUR 143

171.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.88 MUR 182

115.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$8.69 MUR 407

24.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.80 MUR 84.1

50.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.72 MUR 80.4

-12.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.48 MUR 69.4

26.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.71 MUR 127

-19.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.94 MUR 44.06

97.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.99 MUR 46.55

125.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.86 MUR 40.13

24.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.76 MUR 35.64

43.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$6.17 MUR 289

-32.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$8.65 MUR 405

20.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$0.85 MUR 39.72

95.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.44 MUR 67.6

81.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.74 MUR 34.57

-27.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$4.27 MUR 200

-27.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.71 MUR 127

-11.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$19.58 MUR 917

-84.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.45 MUR 68.1

-9.66%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$20.1K MUR 943.5K

47.98%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$28.2K MUR 1.3M

-17.30%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$44.68 MUR 2,093

81.92%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$11.13 MUR 521

102.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$31.34 MUR 1,468

-4.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$30.28 MUR 1,418

74.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$8.96 MUR 420

105.25%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.11 MUR 286

-19.48%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$128 MUR 5,974

57.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,973 MUR 186.1K

30.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$84.2 MUR 3,943

-57.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$80.1 MUR 3,751

-49.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$132 MUR 6,193

-39.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$95.3 MUR 4,463

-9.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$348 MUR 16.3K

181.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$260 MUR 12.2K

80.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$595 MUR 27.9K

177.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$515 MUR 24.1K

133.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,143 MUR 53.5K

245.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$521 MUR 24.4K

29.93%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Quatre Bornes: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $348 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 30% 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: $252 vs $167 – 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 44%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,311 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $874 in Quatre Bornes. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $128 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 $874, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.