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 $874 per month in Quatre Bornes vs $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,348 per month in Quatre Bornes vs $2,125 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,823 per month in Quatre Bornes vs $2,990 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Quatre Bornes is about 31% 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 34% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.95 MUR 185

$11.72 MX$203

-66.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.29 MUR 1,044

$41.89 MX$725

-46.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 MUR 259

$10.51 MX$182

-47.38%

Cappuccino

$2.47 MUR 116

$3.59 MX$62.0

-31.20%

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

$0.76 MUR 35.37

$1.51 MX$26.10

-49.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 MUR 14.83

$0.92 MX$15.83

-65.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 MUR 104

$2.96 MX$51.2

-25.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 MUR 157

$4.41 MX$76.3

-23.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MUR 60.3

$1.40 MX$24.16

-7.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 MUR 24.08

$1.88 MX$32.60

-72.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 MUR 59.3

$1.56 MX$26.97

-18.59%

Eggs

$2.10 MUR 98.4

$2.61 MX$45.14

-19.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.06 MUR 143

$8.32 MX$144

-63.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 MUR 182

$8.35 MX$145

-53.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.69 MUR 407

$10.86 MX$188

-19.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 MUR 84.1

$2.71 MX$46.93

-33.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 MUR 80.4

$1.51 MX$26.04

13.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 MUR 69.4

$1.87 MX$32.41

-20.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 MUR 127

$2.19 MX$37.89

23.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 MUR 44.06

$1.86 MX$32.14

-49.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 MUR 46.55

$2.23 MX$38.59

-55.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 MUR 40.13

$1.07 MX$18.48

-19.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 MUR 35.64

$1.09 MX$18.79

-30.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.17 MUR 289

$4.19 MX$72.4

47.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.65 MUR 405

$10.43 MX$180

-17.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 MUR 39.72

$1.66 MX$28.68

-48.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 MUR 67.6

$2.61 MX$45.19

-44.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 MUR 34.57

$0.54 MX$9.37

37.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.27 MUR 200

$3.08 MX$53.3

38.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 MUR 127

$2.40 MX$41.61

12.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.58 MUR 917

$3.13 MX$54.1

525.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MUR 68.1

$1.31 MX$22.69

10.69%

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

$20.1K MUR 943.5K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-32.42%

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

$28.2K MUR 1.3M

$23.3K MX$403.5K

20.92%

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

$44.68 MUR 2,093

$81.3 MX$1,406

-45.03%

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

$11.13 MUR 521

$22.56 MX$390

-50.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.34 MUR 1,468

$30.05 MX$520

4.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.28 MUR 1,418

$52.9 MX$915

-42.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.96 MUR 420

$18.39 MX$318

-51.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.11 MUR 286

$4.92 MX$85.1

24.19%

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

$128 MUR 5,974

$201 MX$3,474

-36.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,973 MUR 186.1K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

-23.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.2 MUR 3,943

$35.92 MX$622

134.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.1 MUR 3,751

$40.13 MX$694

99.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 MUR 6,193

$79.7 MX$1,379

65.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.3 MUR 4,463

$86.5 MX$1,496

10.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 MUR 16.3K

$978 MX$16.9K

-64.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 MUR 12.2K

$470 MX$8,140

-44.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$595 MUR 27.9K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-63.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 MUR 24.1K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-57.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,143 MUR 53.5K

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-71.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$521 MUR 24.4K

$677 MX$11.7K

-23.04%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $348 in Quatre Bornes versus $978 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 30% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $167 vs $252 – 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 44%, 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 $1,311 per month in Quatre Bornes and $1,890 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 $874 in Quatre Bornes and $1,260 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $128 per month in Quatre Bornes and $201 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 $874, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.