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 $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,205 in Trou aux Biches, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,783 in Trou aux Biches, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,362 in Trou aux Biches, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 1% 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 9% lower, Trou aux Biches 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$198

$5.85 MUR 277

87.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$811

$37.99 MUR 1,800

18.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$216

$7.54 MUR 357

58.09%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$68.8

$1.04 MUR 49.07

265.38%

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

$1.31 MX$23.71

$0.85 MUR 40.36

54.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.48

$0.65 MUR 30.58

32.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$58.0

$2.05 MUR 97.3

56.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$90.6

$3.09 MUR 147

62.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.36

$1.60 MUR 75.9

-8.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.06

$0.78 MUR 36.77

198.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.07

$1.14 MUR 54.2

26.32%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$44.50

$2.53 MUR 120

-2.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$139

$5.29 MUR 251

45.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$143

$6.42 MUR 304

22.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$231

$11.05 MUR 524

15.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$52.7

$2.71 MUR 128

7.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$25.70

$2.65 MUR 126

-46.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$46.37

$1.42 MUR 67.3

80.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$38.63

$3.00 MUR 142

-28.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.19

$0.99 MUR 46.76

96.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.00

$0.94 MUR 44.67

106.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$20.80

$0.69 MUR 32.75

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.07

$0.90 MUR 42.62

35.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$79.1

$6.52 MUR 309

-32.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$178

$8.46 MUR 401

16.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$27.79

$1.64 MUR 77.6

-6.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.08

$2.36 MUR 112

15.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$88.8

$4.27 MUR 203

14.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$63.7

$3.20 MUR 152

10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$103

$20.81 MUR 986

-72.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$27.84

$1.31 MUR 62.3

17.56%

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

$21.2K MX$383.9K

$36.5K MUR 1.7M

-41.82%

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

$24.5K MX$442.6K

$31.3K MUR 1.5M

-21.75%

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

$83.6 MX$1,511

$44.69 MUR 2,118

87.09%

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

$24.03 MX$434

$10.34 MUR 490

132.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$530

$28.95 MUR 1,372

1.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,172

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$532

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$91.9

$6.17 MUR 293

-17.50%

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

$208 MX$3,754

$126 MUR 5,979

64.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$73.1K

$7,775 MUR 368.4K

-47.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$805

$77.0 MUR 3,646

-42.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$760

$75.2 MUR 3,564

-44.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,365

$121 MUR 5,710

-37.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,652

$77.9 MUR 3,691

17.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$17.8K

$749 MUR 35.5K

31.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$6,962

$628 MUR 29.8K

-38.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.0K

$1,177 MUR 55.8K

45.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.0K

$949 MUR 44.9K

16.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$72.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$112.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.67

71.66%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Trou aux Biches: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $749 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 $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.00 in Trou aux Biches. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $218 – making Trou aux Biches 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 Trou aux Biches: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 1%, 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 $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,807 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 $1,215 in Playa del Carmen and $1,205 in Trou aux Biches. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $208 per month in Playa del Carmen and $126 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 $1,205, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,215. 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.