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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Ballsh vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,838 per month in Ballsh vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,474 per month in Ballsh vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ballsh is about 7% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Ballsh and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Ballsh 10% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 ALL 959

$11.73 MX$203

-0.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 ALL 4,832

$41.62 MX$720

41.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.81 ALL 557

$10.64 MX$184

-36.00%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ALL 166

$3.52 MX$60.9

-42.33%

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

$1.45 ALL 119

$1.51 MX$26.12

-3.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ALL 73.9

$0.97 MX$16.84

-7.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 ALL 243

$2.95 MX$51.0

0.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 ALL 343

$4.45 MX$77.0

-5.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 ALL 174

$1.38 MX$23.93

53.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ALL 93.0

$1.89 MX$32.72

-39.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ALL 177

$1.64 MX$28.32

31.71%

Eggs

$3.89 ALL 318

$2.51 MX$43.34

54.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 ALL 1,091

$8.34 MX$144

59.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 ALL 630

$8.34 MX$144

-7.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.67 ALL 1,282

$10.73 MX$186

46.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 ALL 145

$2.60 MX$45.04

-31.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 ALL 228

$1.46 MX$25.20

90.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 ALL 167

$1.90 MX$32.87

7.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ALL 162

$2.08 MX$35.91

-4.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ALL 109

$1.78 MX$30.71

-25.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ALL 108

$2.19 MX$37.80

-39.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 ALL 119

$1.04 MX$17.99

39.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ALL 65.6

$1.08 MX$18.62

-25.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.37 ALL 357

$4.08 MX$70.6

7.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 ALL 897

$10.32 MX$178

6.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ALL 133

$1.71 MX$29.61

-5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ALL 170

$2.58 MX$44.54

-19.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 ALL 39.46

$0.51 MX$8.81

-5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.01 ALL 1,555

$26.46 MX$458

-28.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ALL 291

$3.26 MX$56.4

8.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 ALL 264

$2.49 MX$43.09

29.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 ALL 1,472

$3.25 MX$56.2

453.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 ALL 176

$1.31 MX$22.61

64.12%

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

$40.8K ALL 3.3M

$30.3K MX$523.7K

34.69%

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

$35.3K ALL 2.9M

$23.4K MX$405.3K

50.79%

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

$107 ALL 8,763

$82.9 MX$1,433

29.26%

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

$17.78 ALL 1,455

$22.22 MX$384

-19.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.41 ALL 1,506

$29.34 MX$507

-37.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 ALL 4,545

$51.6 MX$893

7.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.45 ALL 2,082

$18.32 MX$317

38.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.21 ALL 754

$5.07 MX$87.6

81.66%

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

$159 ALL 13.0K

$201 MX$3,473

-20.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,513 ALL 451.1K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

5.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.1 ALL 5,486

$36.92 MX$639

81.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 ALL 4,104

$39.79 MX$688

26.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 ALL 8,922

$78.5 MX$1,357

39.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ALL 10.6K

$87.1 MX$1,506

48.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 ALL 36.4K

$973 MX$16.8K

-54.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 ALL 28.4K

$468 MX$8,090

-25.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ALL 50.3K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-62.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ALL 35.4K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-64.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,749 ALL 143.1K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-55.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,196 ALL 97.8K

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-81.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.52

11.42

-51.66%

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

Last update for Ballsh: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $444 in Ballsh versus $973 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Ballsh versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $282 vs $249 – making Playa del Carmen 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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 8%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,803 per month in Ballsh and $1,945 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 Ballsh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Ballsh and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ballsh, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Ballsh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ballsh – 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 Ballsh. 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.