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: $2,528 in Balbriggan versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,767 in Balbriggan versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,005 in Balbriggan versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Balbriggan is roughly 96% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Balbriggan is 89% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.28 €19.93

$11.94 MX$209

94.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 €90.1

$42.75 MX$748

146.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 €10.75

$10.59 MX$185

18.60%

Cappuccino

$4.60 €3.93

$3.62 MX$63.4

27.07%

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

$2.46 €2.11

$1.47 MX$25.69

67.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.90

$0.94 MX$16.51

136.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.25 €7.06

$3.09 MX$54.1

166.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.98 €5.98

$4.46 MX$78.0

56.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.43 MX$24.94

16.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.88 MX$32.97

12.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 €1.79

$1.63 MX$28.50

28.22%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.78

$2.64 MX$46.26

23.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.15 €9.54

$8.21 MX$144

35.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 €9.89

$8.29 MX$145

39.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 €12.29

$11.10 MX$194

29.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 €2.73

$2.65 MX$46.40

20.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.82

$1.50 MX$26.26

42.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 €2.53

$1.99 MX$34.79

48.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.48 €4.69

$2.08 MX$36.33

163.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.79 MX$31.29

23.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 €1.51

$2.18 MX$38.09

-18.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.08 MX$18.84

21.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.73

$1.04 MX$18.15

94.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.58 €17.62

$3.97 MX$69.5

418.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.98 €11.97

$10.20 MX$179

37.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 €2.52

$1.73 MX$30.22

70.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 €2.19

$2.50 MX$43.71

2.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.13

$0.52 MX$9.07

378.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 €85.7

$26.97 MX$472

270.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 €4.45

$3.14 MX$55.0

65.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 €1.76

$2.40 MX$42.04

-14.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.29 €32.78

$3.09 MX$54.0

1139.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.27 MX$22.28

55.91%

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

$43.0K €36.8K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

39.24%

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

$40.9K €35.0K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

75.62%

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

$177 €151

$82.0 MX$1,435

115.68%

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

$17.24 €14.76

$22.45 MX$393

-23.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.73 €40.00

$29.66 MX$519

57.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 €46.43

$51.9 MX$908

4.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$13.94 €11.94

$4.97 MX$87.0

180.48%

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

$1,361 €1,165

$198 MX$3,462

588.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,730 €8,329

$5,273 MX$92.3K

84.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.1

$36.34 MX$636

186.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.21 €25.00

$40.05 MX$701

-27.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.7 €54.5

$79.9 MX$1,398

-20.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €111

$88.9 MX$1,555

46.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,257

$963 MX$16.9K

52.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,259 €1,078

$465 MX$8,133

170.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 €2,037

$1,596 MX$27.9K

49.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 €1,688

$1,209 MX$21.2K

63.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,621 €3,956

$3,942 MX$69.0K

17.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,438 €2,087

$720 MX$12.6K

238.48%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,469 in Balbriggan and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balbriggan pays 238% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $251 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 96% in total monthly costs ($2,528 vs $1,287 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Balbriggan pays 238% more on average, 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: $1,469 in Balbriggan versus $963 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 $43.00 versus $105 in Balbriggan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,528 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 96% less than in Balbriggan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.