Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sunny Beach

For one person, living is cheaper in Sunny Beach: $1,038 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Sunny Beach
Learn more

Sunny Beach Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Sunny Beach

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,038

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Sunny Beach

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 Sunny Beach actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,038 in Sunny Beach, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Sunny Beach $1,038

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,578 in Sunny Beach, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Sunny Beach $1,578

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,117 in Sunny Beach, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Sunny Beach $2,117

Playa del Carmen costs about 17% more than Sunny Beach, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sunny Beach are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Sunny Beach 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$8.39 BGN 14.59

28.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$44.87 BGN 78.1

-4.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$9.63 BGN 16.75

22.43%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$2.86 BGN 4.98

35.31%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$1.74 BGN 3.02

-21.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$1.56 BGN 2.71

-46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$2.31 BGN 4.03

34.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$1.73 BGN 3.02

193.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$1.76 BGN 3.06

-18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$0.75 BGN 1.30

197.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$2.18 BGN 3.79

-32.57%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$3.69 BGN 6.42

-31.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$8.40 BGN 14.61

-13.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$8.56 BGN 14.90

-8.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$14.28 BGN 24.85

-10.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$1.70 BGN 2.95

70.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$1.77 BGN 3.08

-18.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$1.91 BGN 3.32

33.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$2.63 BGN 4.57

-21.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$1.07 BGN 1.87

86.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$1.05 BGN 1.83

91.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$1.16 BGN 2.02

2.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$0.71 BGN 1.24

77.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$4.10 BGN 7.13

7.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$6.27 BGN 10.92

52.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$1.13 BGN 1.96

40.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$2.06 BGN 3.58

36.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$1.13 BGN 1.97

-49.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$1.27 BGN 2.21

292.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$0.65 BGN 1.12

438.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$10.32 BGN 17.96

-47.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$1.58 BGN 2.75

-6.96%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$29.6K BGN 51.5K

-29.04%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$24.4K BGN 42.5K

-2.09%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$114 BGN 199

-26.28%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$18.46 BGN 32.12

29.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$15.66 BGN 27.25

85.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$8.90 BGN 15.48

-44.49%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$519 BGN 902

-60.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$5,550 BGN 9,658

-29.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$33.86 BGN 58.9

28.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$41.32 BGN 71.9

4.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$95.8 BGN 167

-20.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$103 BGN 180

-14.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$565 BGN 984

78.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$341 BGN 593

9.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$679 BGN 1,181

151.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$513 BGN 893

115.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

$1,328 BGN 2,310

197.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

$1,135 BGN 1,976

443.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$920 BGN 1,601

-18.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.1

269.35%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sunny Beach: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Sunny Beach

$341 32.9% 8.8% $33

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Sunny Beach

$240 23.1% 7.1% $18

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Sunny Beach

$159 15.3% 21.6% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Sunny Beach

$148 14.3% 8.1% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Sunny Beach

$123 11.9% 9.3% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Sunny Beach

$18 * 1.7% 75.6% $55

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Sunny Beach

$9 * 0.9% 82.8% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $565 in Sunny Beach. 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 22% higher in Sunny Beach, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $45.00 in Sunny Beach. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Playa del Carmen vs $240 in Sunny Beach – so Sunny Beach wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇬 Sunny Beach

🕒 Local time

10:22 10:22 AM

18:22 6:22 PM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

13,347

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Sunny Beach 10,320 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Sunny Beach

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 Sunny Beach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,557 in Sunny Beach. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sunny Beach, 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 $1,210 in Playa del Carmen and $1,038 in Sunny Beach. That's a gap of about 17%.

Kindergarten costs $204 per month in Playa del Carmen and $519 in Sunny Beach. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sunny Beach, where all-in costs run around $1,038, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Sunny Beach it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sunny Beach – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Sunny Beach. 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.