Cost of Living Comparison Between Quatre Bornes and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Quatre Bornes and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Quatre Bornes vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,336 per month in Quatre Bornes vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,811 per month in Quatre Bornes vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Quatre Bornes is about 32% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Quatre Bornes and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Quatre Bornes 36% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 MUR 184

$11.87 MX$204

-66.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.91 MUR 1,032

$42.90 MX$736

-48.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 MUR 264

$10.65 MX$183

-47.32%

Cappuccino

$2.54 MUR 120

$3.45 MX$59.2

-26.38%

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

$0.80 MUR 37.66

$1.50 MX$25.81

-46.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 MUR 16.12

$0.95 MX$16.28

-64.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 MUR 104

$3.03 MX$51.9

-27.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 MUR 156

$4.61 MX$79.1

-27.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 MUR 63.9

$1.38 MX$23.61

-1.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 MUR 26.44

$1.85 MX$31.70

-69.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 MUR 62.9

$1.61 MX$27.65

-16.77%

Eggs

$2.05 MUR 96.5

$2.59 MX$44.51

-20.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.15 MUR 148

$8.26 MX$142

-61.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.90 MUR 184

$8.37 MX$144

-53.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 MUR 416

$10.66 MX$183

-17.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 MUR 81.4

$2.63 MX$45.12

-34.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MUR 81.7

$1.49 MX$25.53

16.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 MUR 70.8

$1.92 MX$32.94

-21.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 MUR 128

$2.09 MX$35.81

29.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 MUR 48.14

$1.86 MX$31.88

-45.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 MUR 43.71

$2.26 MX$38.81

-58.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 MUR 36.79

$1.06 MX$18.23

-26.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 MUR 38.45

$1.09 MX$18.67

-24.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 MUR 283

$4.15 MX$71.2

45.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.45 MUR 398

$10.39 MX$178

-18.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 MUR 40.10

$1.72 MX$29.59

-50.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MUR 65.4

$2.61 MX$44.85

-46.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 MUR 36.74

$0.54 MX$9.30

44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 MUR 208

$3.13 MX$53.7

41.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.60 MUR 122

$2.51 MX$43.09

3.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.90 MUR 937

$3.15 MX$54.1

531.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MUR 69.2

$1.27 MX$21.88

15.75%

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

$20.0K MUR 943.3K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-34.05%

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

$29.0K MUR 1.4M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

22.87%

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

$43.37 MUR 2,042

$83.0 MX$1,425

-47.75%

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

$11.20 MUR 527

$22.71 MX$390

-50.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.92 MUR 1,503

$29.46 MX$506

8.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.98 MUR 1,412

$51.0 MX$875

-41.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.95 MUR 422

$18.33 MX$315

-51.17%

Cinema Ticket

$5.93 MUR 279

$4.93 MX$84.5

20.28%

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

$123 MUR 5,788

$197 MX$3,386

-37.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,974 MUR 187.1K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-24.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 MUR 4,079

$36.90 MX$633

134.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.0 MUR 3,719

$39.89 MX$685

97.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 MUR 6,328

$80.0 MX$1,373

67.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 MUR 4,443

$89.5 MX$1,536

5.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 MUR 16.9K

$956 MX$16.4K

-62.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 MUR 12.3K

$477 MX$8,189

-45.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 MUR 27.5K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-64.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 MUR 23.9K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-58.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,119 MUR 52.7K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-71.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$519 MUR 24.5K

$667 MX$11.4K

-22.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

11.42

-43.43%

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

Last update for Quatre Bornes: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $358 in Quatre Bornes versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. 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 28% 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 $22.00 in Quatre Bornes versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $169 vs $250 – making Quatre Bornes 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

Quatre Bornes vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 48%, 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 $1,292 per month in Quatre Bornes and $1,906 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quatre Bornes, 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 $861 in Quatre Bornes and $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $123 per month in Quatre Bornes and $197 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Quatre Bornes, where all-in costs run around $861, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Quatre Bornes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quatre Bornes – 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 Quatre Bornes. 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.