Cost of Living Comparison Between Balbriggan and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Balbriggan and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,561 in Balbriggan versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,751 in Balbriggan versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,941 in Balbriggan versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Balbriggan is roughly 103% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Balbriggan is 92% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.53 €20.37

$11.72 MX$203

100.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 €91.1

$41.89 MX$725

151.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.95 €11.21

$10.51 MX$182

23.22%

Cappuccino

$4.81 €4.16

$3.59 MX$62.0

33.98%

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

$2.48 €2.15

$1.51 MX$26.10

64.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.92

$0.92 MX$15.83

141.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.29 €7.18

$2.96 MX$51.2

180.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 €6.17

$4.41 MX$76.3

61.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.40 MX$24.16

18.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.90

$1.88 MX$32.60

16.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.56 MX$26.97

33.97%

Eggs

$3.27 €2.83

$2.61 MX$45.14

25.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.03 €9.55

$8.32 MX$144

32.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 €10.07

$8.35 MX$145

39.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 €12.05

$10.86 MX$188

28.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.74

$2.71 MX$46.93

16.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.51 MX$26.04

36.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 €2.48

$1.87 MX$32.41

53.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 €4.83

$2.19 MX$37.89

154.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 €1.94

$1.86 MX$32.14

20.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$2.23 MX$38.59

-23.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.07 MX$18.48

27.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.82

$1.09 MX$18.79

92.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.34 €17.61

$4.19 MX$72.4

385.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.80 €11.95

$10.43 MX$180

32.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.66 MX$28.68

75.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 €2.21

$2.61 MX$45.19

-2.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 €2.13

$0.54 MX$9.37

355.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.5 €85.3

$26.16 MX$453

276.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 €4.50

$3.08 MX$53.3

68.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.40 MX$41.61

-14.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.26 €33.14

$3.13 MX$54.1

1122.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.31 MX$22.69

59.54%

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

$43.1K €37.3K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

44.43%

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

$41.1K €35.6K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

76.11%

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

$170 €148

$81.3 MX$1,406

109.73%

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

$17.27 €14.96

$22.56 MX$390

-23.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.73 €40.47

$30.05 MX$520

55.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 €46.99

$52.9 MX$915

2.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 €11.89

$4.92 MX$85.1

179.07%

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

$1,334 €1,155

$201 MX$3,474

564.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,712 €8,410

$5,175 MX$89.5K

87.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.8

$35.92 MX$622

188.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.56 €24.73

$40.13 MX$694

-28.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.5 €54.1

$79.7 MX$1,379

-21.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €110

$86.5 MX$1,496

47.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 €1,287

$978 MX$16.9K

51.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$470 MX$8,140

160.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,412 €2,089

$1,651 MX$28.6K

46.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,999 €1,731

$1,203 MX$20.8K

66.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,425 €3,832

$3,953 MX$68.4K

11.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,327 €2,015

$677 MX$11.7K

243.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

11.42

-64.62%

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

Last update for Balbriggan: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,486 in Balbriggan and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balbriggan pays 244% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $105 in Balbriggan vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $252 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Balbriggan and Playa del Carmen differ by about 103% in total monthly costs ($2,561 vs $1,260 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 244% higher in Balbriggan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,486 in Balbriggan versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Balbriggan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $105 in Balbriggan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,561 in Balbriggan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Balbriggan. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Balbriggan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.