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 $1,235 per month in Ballsh vs $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,892 per month in Ballsh vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,549 per month in Ballsh vs $3,362 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ballsh is about 5% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Ballsh and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Ballsh 10% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.13 ALL 800

$11.96 MX$203

-15.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.3 ALL 4,212

$47.38 MX$805

12.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.19 ALL 568

$11.75 MX$200

-38.81%

Cappuccino

$2.32 ALL 183

$4.12 MX$70.1

-43.69%

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

$1.42 ALL 112

$1.40 MX$23.78

1.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ALL 67.5

$0.91 MX$15.50

-5.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 ALL 292

$3.21 MX$54.5

15.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 ALL 330

$7.07 MX$120

-40.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ALL 182

$1.68 MX$28.49

37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ALL 97.8

$2.15 MX$36.53

-42.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ALL 189

$1.77 MX$30.14

35.03%

Eggs

$3.86 ALL 305

$2.82 MX$47.83

36.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 ALL 1,074

$9.20 MX$156

47.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.14 ALL 722

$9.23 MX$157

-0.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.57 ALL 1,388

$12.64 MX$215

39.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 ALL 160

$2.95 MX$50.1

-31.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 ALL 200

$1.58 MX$26.83

60.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ALL 180

$2.22 MX$37.76

2.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 ALL 147

$2.36 MX$40.15

-21.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 ALL 82.4

$1.99 MX$33.86

-47.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 ALL 103

$1.98 MX$33.63

-34.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 ALL 118

$1.24 MX$21.07

20.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ALL 64.7

$1.21 MX$20.58

-32.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.04 ALL 398

$4.60 MX$78.2

9.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.50 ALL 908

$10.52 MX$179

9.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ALL 139

$1.69 MX$28.74

4.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ALL 161

$2.77 MX$47.13

-26.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ALL 38.52

$0.60 MX$10.24

-18.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.29 ALL 1,603

$29.70 MX$505

-31.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 ALL 294

$5.24 MX$89.0

-29.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.75 ALL 296

$3.65 MX$62.0

2.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.96 ALL 1,498

$5.78 MX$98.3

228.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 ALL 189

$1.54 MX$26.13

55.19%

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

$34.5K ALL 2.7M

$22.8K MX$387.4K

51.47%

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

$37.4K ALL 3.0M

$25.8K MX$438.5K

44.73%

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

$102 ALL 8,060

$90.7 MX$1,540

12.55%

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

$18.98 ALL 1,499

$25.19 MX$428

-24.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.84 ALL 1,646

$31.75 MX$539

-34.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.8 ALL 4,640

$68.8 MX$1,169

-14.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 ALL 793

$4.86 MX$82.6

106.58%

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

$346 ALL 27.3K

$226 MX$3,834

53.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,431 ALL 665.9K

$4,194 MX$71.2K

101.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 ALL 4,050

$47.38 MX$805

8.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.84 ALL 3,857

$43.45 MX$738

12.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 ALL 9,673

$80.2 MX$1,363

52.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ALL 9,016

$91.4 MX$1,552

24.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 ALL 38.3K

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-55.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 ALL 26.6K

$409 MX$6,943

-17.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$717 ALL 56.6K

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-63.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 ALL 37.6K

$1,281 MX$21.8K

-62.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,886 ALL 149.0K

$4,046 MX$68.7K

-53.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,282 ALL 101.2K

$6,704 MX$113.9K

-80.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.64

11.45

-50.74%

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

Last update for Ballsh: September 5, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in Ballsh versus $1,086 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 $53.0 in Ballsh versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $278 – 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 6%, 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 $1,852 per month in Ballsh and $1,958 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 8% 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 $53.0 in Ballsh and $47.00 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 $1,235, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. 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.