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: $2,730 in Balbriggan versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,044 in Balbriggan versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,358 in Balbriggan versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Balbriggan is roughly 116% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Balbriggan is 100% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.92 €21.71

$11.60 MX$199

114.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 €91.6

$47.11 MX$809

123.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.79 €12.01

$11.88 MX$204

16.08%

Cappuccino

$5.05 €4.40

$3.98 MX$68.2

26.88%

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

$2.96 €2.58

$1.43 MX$24.49

106.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.82 MX$14.16

178.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.11 €7.07

$3.19 MX$54.7

154.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.48 €6.52

$6.79 MX$117

10.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.47

$1.68 MX$28.76

0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 €2.15

$2.20 MX$37.71

12.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.71 MX$29.32

21.05%

Eggs

$3.24 €2.82

$2.74 MX$47.05

18.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 €8.73

$9.58 MX$164

4.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.87 €11.21

$9.01 MX$155

42.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.85 €14.68

$12.81 MX$220

31.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 €2.64

$2.89 MX$49.58

4.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 €2.01

$1.50 MX$25.70

53.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 €2.51

$2.15 MX$36.87

33.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.48 €4.77

$2.26 MX$38.79

142.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.98 MX$34.00

1.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.32

$1.99 MX$34.15

-23.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.23 MX$21.18

11.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.74

$1.20 MX$20.54

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.09 €19.24

$4.55 MX$78.1

385.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 €12.21

$10.37 MX$178

35.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 €2.47

$1.62 MX$27.79

74.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.32

$2.88 MX$49.44

-7.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 €2.21

$0.60 MX$10.30

321.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 €95.0

$28.80 MX$494

278.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 €4.66

$5.39 MX$92.5

-0.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 €1.39

$3.73 MX$64.0

-57.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.21 €33.29

$5.77 MX$99.0

562.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.93

$1.54 MX$26.37

44.16%

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

$40.9K €35.7K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

81.49%

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

$40.3K €35.1K

$26.1K MX$447.3K

54.67%

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

$176 €154

$91.4 MX$1,569

92.95%

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

$17.27 €15.04

$25.20 MX$433

-31.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.17 €40.23

$31.24 MX$536

47.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €47.53

$67.2 MX$1,154

-18.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$13.60 €11.85

$4.86 MX$83.5

179.84%

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

$1,318 €1,148

$224 MX$3,839

489.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,482 €4,776

$4,229 MX$72.6K

29.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €98.5

$47.10 MX$808

139.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.34 €25.56

$44.29 MX$760

-33.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.1 €55.9

$80.1 MX$1,375

-19.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €113

$92.7 MX$1,591

40.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,647 €1,435

$1,063 MX$18.2K

55.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 €1,228

$390 MX$6,698

261.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 €2,204

$2,149 MX$36.9K

17.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,237 €1,949

$1,272 MX$21.8K

75.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,394 €2,086

$758 MX$13.0K

215.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.45

-66.90%

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

Last update for Balbriggan: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,647 in Balbriggan and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balbriggan pays 216% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $362 vs $276 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 116% in total monthly costs ($2,730 vs $1,266 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 216% 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: $1,647 in Balbriggan versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% 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 $47.00 versus $105 in Balbriggan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,730 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 116% less than in Balbriggan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.