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 $860 per month in Quatre Bornes vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,336 per month in Quatre Bornes vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,813 per month in Quatre Bornes vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Quatre Bornes is about 33% 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 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.96 MUR 185

$11.94 MX$208

-66.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.85 MUR 1,022

$42.75 MX$744

-48.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 MUR 258

$10.59 MX$184

-47.97%

Cappuccino

$2.47 MUR 115

$3.62 MX$63.0

-31.77%

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

$0.75 MUR 35.02

$1.47 MX$25.54

-48.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 MUR 14.82

$0.94 MX$16.41

-65.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 MUR 101

$3.09 MX$53.8

-30.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 MUR 152

$4.46 MX$77.6

-26.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MUR 63.3

$1.43 MX$24.80

-5.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 MUR 26.26

$1.88 MX$32.79

-70.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 MUR 59.6

$1.63 MX$28.34

-22.09%

Eggs

$2.11 MUR 98.5

$2.64 MX$45.99

-20.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.13 MUR 146

$8.21 MX$143

-61.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.02 MUR 188

$8.29 MX$144

-51.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.71 MUR 407

$11.10 MX$193

-21.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 MUR 81.2

$2.65 MX$46.14

-34.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MUR 83.6

$1.50 MX$26.11

19.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 MUR 66.7

$1.99 MX$34.59

-28.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 MUR 123

$2.08 MX$36.13

26.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 MUR 44.69

$1.79 MX$31.11

-46.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 MUR 47.07

$2.18 MX$37.87

-53.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 MUR 39.18

$1.08 MX$18.73

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 MUR 35.14

$1.04 MX$18.04

-27.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.03 MUR 282

$3.97 MX$69.1

51.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.64 MUR 404

$10.20 MX$178

-15.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 MUR 39.51

$1.73 MX$30.04

-50.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 MUR 68.7

$2.50 MX$43.46

-41.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MUR 35.42

$0.52 MX$9.02

46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.31 MUR 201

$3.14 MX$54.7

37.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 MUR 122

$2.40 MX$41.80

8.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.55 MUR 914

$3.09 MX$53.7

532.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 MUR 65.6

$1.27 MX$22.16

10.24%

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

$19.6K MUR 915.9K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

-36.56%

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

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

$23.3K MX$405.7K

24.71%

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

$43.75 MUR 2,045

$82.0 MX$1,427

-46.65%

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

$10.82 MUR 506

$22.45 MX$391

-51.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.70 MUR 1,482

$29.66 MX$516

6.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.16 MUR 1,363

$51.9 MX$903

-43.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.00 MUR 421

$18.67 MX$325

-51.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.11 MUR 285

$4.97 MX$86.5

22.94%

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

$126 MUR 5,873

$198 MX$3,442

-36.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,986 MUR 186.4K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

-24.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.8 MUR 3,963

$36.34 MX$632

133.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.4 MUR 3,758

$40.05 MX$697

100.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 MUR 6,122

$79.9 MX$1,390

63.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 MUR 4,507

$88.9 MX$1,547

8.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 MUR 16.6K

$963 MX$16.8K

-63.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 MUR 12.2K

$465 MX$8,086

-43.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 MUR 27.9K

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-62.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 MUR 24.0K

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-57.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,149 MUR 53.7K

$3,942 MX$68.6K

-70.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$520 MUR 24.3K

$720 MX$12.5K

-27.76%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $354 in Quatre Bornes versus $963 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 38% 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: $168 vs $251 – 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 50%, 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 $1,290 per month in Quatre Bornes and $1,930 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 $860 in Quatre Bornes and $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $126 per month in Quatre Bornes and $198 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 $860, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.