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 $809 per month in Quatre Bornes vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,288 per month in Quatre Bornes vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,767 per month in Quatre Bornes vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Quatre Bornes is about 36% 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 41% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 MUR 208

$11.60 MX$200

-61.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.25 MUR 1,001

$47.11 MX$812

-54.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 MUR 303

$11.88 MX$205

-45.79%

Cappuccino

$2.39 MUR 113

$3.98 MX$68.6

-39.95%

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

$0.88 MUR 41.28

$1.43 MX$24.60

-38.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 MUR 23.01

$0.82 MX$14.22

-40.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MUR 127

$3.19 MX$55.0

-15.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 MUR 156

$6.79 MX$117

-51.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 MUR 61.5

$1.68 MX$28.89

-22.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 MUR 23.69

$2.20 MX$37.88

-77.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 MUR 54.0

$1.71 MX$29.45

-32.75%

Eggs

$1.94 MUR 91.6

$2.74 MX$47.26

-29.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.91 MUR 137

$9.58 MX$165

-69.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 MUR 179

$9.01 MX$155

-57.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.47 MUR 399

$12.81 MX$221

-33.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 MUR 129

$2.89 MX$49.81

-5.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 MUR 122

$1.50 MX$25.81

73.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 MUR 67.9

$2.15 MX$37.03

-33.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 MUR 142

$2.26 MX$38.96

32.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 MUR 44.14

$1.98 MX$34.15

-52.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 MUR 44.22

$1.99 MX$34.30

-52.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 MUR 33.20

$1.23 MX$21.28

-43.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MUR 42.32

$1.20 MX$20.63

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.10 MUR 287

$4.55 MX$78.5

34.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.51 MUR 401

$10.37 MX$179

-17.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 MUR 76.9

$1.62 MX$27.91

0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 MUR 107

$2.88 MX$49.67

-21.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MUR 34.29

$0.60 MX$10.35

21.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.35 MUR 205

$5.39 MX$92.9

-19.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.24 MUR 153

$3.73 MX$64.3

-13.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.85 MUR 983

$5.77 MX$99.5

261.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MUR 62.7

$1.54 MX$26.48

-13.64%

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

$19.1K MUR 899.8K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

-15.33%

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

$28.1K MUR 1.3M

$26.1K MX$449.3K

7.73%

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

$31.75 MUR 1,497

$91.4 MX$1,576

-65.25%

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

$10.51 MUR 495

$25.20 MX$435

-58.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.29 MUR 1,380

$31.24 MX$539

-6.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.84 MUR 1,359

$67.2 MX$1,159

-57.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.27 MUR 390

$29.11 MX$502

-71.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 MUR 292

$4.86 MX$83.8

27.57%

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

$121 MUR 5,692

$224 MX$3,856

-46.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,798 MUR 367.5K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

84.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.4 MUR 3,649

$47.10 MX$812

64.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.9 MUR 3,481

$44.29 MX$764

66.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 MUR 5,606

$80.1 MX$1,381

48.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 MUR 3,614

$92.7 MX$1,598

-17.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$324 MUR 15.3K

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-69.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 MUR 10.5K

$390 MX$6,728

-43.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 MUR 30.9K

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-69.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$440 MUR 20.8K

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-65.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,128 MUR 53.1K

$4,001 MX$69.0K

-71.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$513 MUR 24.2K

$758 MX$13.1K

-32.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.45

-41.75%

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

Last update for Quatre Bornes: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $324 in Quatre Bornes versus $1,063 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 48% 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 $21.00 in Quatre Bornes versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $182 vs $276 – 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 56%, 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 $1,214 per month in Quatre Bornes and $1,899 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 $809 in Quatre Bornes and $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $121 per month in Quatre Bornes and $224 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 $809, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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.