Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Trou aux Biches Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Trou aux Biches

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,042 in Trou aux Biches, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,716 in Trou aux Biches, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,391 in Trou aux Biches, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 24% more than Trou aux Biches, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Trou aux Biches are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Trou aux Biches 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$6.66 MUR 312

79.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$44.87 MUR 2,099

-4.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.26 MUR 340

45.87%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.08 MUR 50.7

235.19%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.86 MUR 40.11

70.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.56 MUR 26.02

67.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.15 MUR 100

43.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.33 MUR 156

33.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.61 MUR 75.4

-11.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.69 MUR 32.33

172.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.29 MUR 60.1

26.36%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.32 MUR 109

13.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$11.71 MUR 548

-29.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.11 MUR 286

35.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$12.57 MUR 588

-11.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.08 MUR 97.3

27.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.03 MUR 95.0

-26.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.45 MUR 67.8

37.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.74 MUR 128

-24.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.03 MUR 48.07

73.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.93 MUR 43.71

134.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.79 MUR 36.91

36.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.76 MUR 35.44

36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$6.51 MUR 304

-39.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$8.35 MUR 391

22.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.71 MUR 80.2

1.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.23 MUR 104

12.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$1.04 MUR 48.53

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$4.47 MUR 209

-29.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$2.61 MUR 122

-8.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$19.90 MUR 931

-84.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.45 MUR 67.8

-12.41%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$35.1K MUR 1.6M

-12.08%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

-19.28%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$49.83 MUR 2,331

64.58%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$18.23 MUR 853

23.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$33.92 MUR 1,587

-12.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$38.47 MUR 1,800

34.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$6.19 MUR 290

-19.71%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$154 MUR 7,206

28.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$3,985 MUR 186.4K

32.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$85.8 MUR 4,013

-57.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$78.5 MUR 3,674

-49.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$131 MUR 6,120

-38.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$93.2 MUR 4,362

-4.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$510 MUR 23.8K

89.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$356 MUR 16.6K

30.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$947 MUR 44.3K

68.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$723 MUR 33.8K

67.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Trou aux Biches: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $510 in Trou aux Biches. 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 $45.00 in Trou aux Biches. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $230 in Trou aux Biches – so Trou aux Biches wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Trou aux Biches: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 24%, 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,562 in Trou aux Biches. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Trou aux Biches, 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $1,042 in Trou aux Biches. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $154 in Trou aux Biches. 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 Trou aux Biches, where all-in costs run around $1,042, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Trou aux Biches it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Trou aux Biches – 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 Trou aux Biches. 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.