Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tesanj Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tesanj

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $954 in Tesanj, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,390 in Tesanj, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,825 in Tesanj, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 37% more than Tesanj, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tesanj are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Tesanj 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$202

$3.46 BAM 5.81

245.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$800

$16.42 BAM 27.59

188.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$198

$2.94 BAM 4.93

299.66%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$69.6

$0.91 BAM 1.53

352.75%

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

$1.40 MX$23.63

$1.44 BAM 2.42

-2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.40

$0.86 BAM 1.44

5.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.1

$2.07 BAM 3.48

55.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$119

$1.81 BAM 3.03

290.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.31

$0.81 BAM 1.36

107.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.31

$0.86 BAM 1.44

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.96

$2.31 BAM 3.88

-23.38%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.54

$3.06 BAM 5.13

-7.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$155

$9.88 BAM 16.60

-6.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$156

$7.27 BAM 12.22

26.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$213

$13.43 BAM 22.55

-5.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.83

$1.25 BAM 2.10

136.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.66

$1.81 BAM 3.04

-12.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.53

$1.85 BAM 3.10

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$39.90

$1.74 BAM 2.93

35.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.65

$0.79 BAM 1.33

151.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.42

$0.68 BAM 1.15

191.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$20.94

$0.95 BAM 1.59

30.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.46

$1.01 BAM 1.70

19.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$77.7

$4.00 BAM 6.72

15.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$8.02 BAM 13.48

31.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.56

$1.31 BAM 2.19

29.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$46.84

$2.32 BAM 3.90

19.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.17

$1.31 BAM 2.20

-54.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$502

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.4

$1.17 BAM 1.97

347.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.6

$0.57 BAM 0.96

540.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.7

$10.75 BAM 18.06

-46.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$25.97

$1.53 BAM 2.57

0.65%

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

$22.8K MX$385.0K

$31.6K BAM 53.1K

-27.83%

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

$25.8K MX$435.8K

$22.4K BAM 37.6K

15.24%

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

$90.7 MX$1,531

$124 BAM 209

-26.97%

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

$25.19 MX$425

$18.92 BAM 31.78

33.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$536

$28.33 BAM 47.59

12.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,162

$34.48 BAM 57.9

99.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$496

$30.09 BAM 50.6

-2.39%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.1

$3.01 BAM 5.05

61.46%

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

$226 MX$3,811

$152 BAM 256

48.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$70.8K

$3,994 BAM 6,709

5.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$800

$116 BAM 195

-59.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$734

$34.80 BAM 58.5

24.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,355

$97.6 BAM 164

-17.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,543

$117 BAM 197

-22.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.3K

$349 BAM 586

210.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,900

$262 BAM 441

55.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.3K

$528 BAM 888

273.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.6K

$380 BAM 638

237.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.3K

$2,544 BAM 4,272

59.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.2K

$1,825 BAM 3,065

267.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$715 BAM 1,201

8.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.3

166.28%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Tesanj: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $349 in Tesanj. 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 8% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in Tesanj. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $225 – making Tesanj 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 Tesanj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 37%, 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 $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,431 in Tesanj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tesanj, 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 $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $954 in Tesanj. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $152 in Tesanj. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tesanj, where all-in costs run around $954, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Tesanj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tesanj – 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 Tesanj. 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.