Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Rose Belle Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Rose Belle

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,060 in Rose Belle, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,657 in Rose Belle, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,254 in Rose Belle, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 20% more than Rose Belle, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Rose Belle are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Rose Belle 21% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Rose Belle
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.87 MX$204
$6.45 MUR 304
84.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.90 MX$736
$23.27 MUR 1,096
84.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.65 MX$183
$7.20 MUR 339
47.92%
Cappuccino
$3.45 MX$59.2
$1.41 MUR 66.4
144.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.50 MX$25.81
$1.03 MUR 48.68
45.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.95 MX$16.28
$0.44 MUR 20.78
115.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.03 MX$51.9
$2.17 MUR 102
39.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.61 MX$79.1
$3.27 MUR 154
40.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Rose Belle
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 MX$23.61
$1.62 MUR 76.4
-14.81%
White Bread (500g)
$1.85 MX$31.70
$0.65 MUR 30.46
184.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.61 MX$27.65
$1.28 MUR 60.4
25.78%
Eggs
$2.59 MX$44.51
$2.32 MUR 109
11.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.26 MX$142
$11.78 MUR 555
-29.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.37 MX$144
$6.12 MUR 288
36.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.66 MX$183
$12.60 MUR 593
-15.40%
Apples (1kg)
$2.63 MX$45.12
$1.97 MUR 92.8
33.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.49 MX$25.53
$1.95 MUR 91.8
-23.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.92 MX$32.94
$1.45 MUR 68.1
32.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.09 MX$35.81
$2.66 MUR 125
-21.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 MX$31.88
$0.99 MUR 46.71
87.88%
Onion (1kg)
$2.26 MX$38.81
$1.01 MUR 47.39
123.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.06 MX$18.23
$0.80 MUR 37.80
32.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.09 MX$18.67
$0.76 MUR 35.70
43.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.15 MX$71.2
$6.53 MUR 308
-36.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.39 MX$178
$8.18 MUR 385
27.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 MX$29.59
$1.81 MUR 85.3
-4.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.61 MX$44.85
$2.15 MUR 101
21.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Rose Belle
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.54 MX$9.30
$1.04 MUR 49.15
-48.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.94 MX$462
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.13 MX$53.7
$4.39 MUR 207
-28.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.51 MX$43.09
$2.70 MUR 127
-7.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.15 MX$54.1
$20.15 MUR 949
-84.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 MX$21.88
$1.45 MUR 68.1
-12.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.4K MX$521.3K
$36.0K MUR 1.7M
-15.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.6K MX$404.5K
$28.3K MUR 1.3M
-16.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Rose Belle
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.0 MX$1,425
$50.3 MUR 2,368
65.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.71 MX$390
$18.24 MUR 859
24.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.46 MX$506
$33.08 MUR 1,558
-10.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Rose Belle
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.0 MX$875
$38.13 MUR 1,796
33.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.33 MX$315
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.93 MX$84.5
$6.13 MUR 289
-19.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Rose Belle
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$197 MX$3,386
$155 MUR 7,283
27.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,280 MX$90.6K
$3,904 MUR 183.8K
35.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Rose Belle
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.90 MX$633
$86.5 MUR 4,074
-57.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.89 MX$685
$80.8 MUR 3,806
-50.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.0 MX$1,373
$130 MUR 6,116
-38.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.5 MX$1,536
$94.8 MUR 4,465
-5.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Rose Belle
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$956 MX$16.4K
$517 MUR 24.3K
85.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$477 MX$8,189
$351 MUR 16.5K
35.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,646 MX$28.3K
$960 MUR 45.2K
71.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,225 MX$21.0K
$718 MUR 33.8K
70.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,918 MX$67.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,459 MX$110.9K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Rose Belle
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$667 MX$11.4K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.42
6.67
71.21%

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 Rose Belle: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $517 in Rose Belle. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $23.00 in Rose Belle. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $228 – making Rose Belle 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 Rose Belle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rose Belle cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 20%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,590 in Rose Belle. 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 Rose Belle, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen vs Rose Belle?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,060 in Rose Belle. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $155 in Rose Belle. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Playa del Carmen or Rose Belle?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Rose Belle, where all-in costs run around $1,060, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Rose Belle it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Rose Belle more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Rose Belle – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Playa del Carmen or Rose Belle?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Rose Belle. 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.

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