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 $1,211 per month in Ballsh vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,879 per month in Ballsh vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,548 per month in Ballsh vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ballsh is about 4% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Ballsh and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Ballsh 9% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 ALL 955

$11.99 MX$210

-2.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.6 ALL 4,782

$41.78 MX$733

40.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 ALL 557

$10.75 MX$189

-36.37%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ALL 165

$3.50 MX$61.3

-42.29%

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

$1.43 ALL 117

$1.45 MX$25.41

-1.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ALL 73.8

$0.88 MX$15.52

2.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 ALL 239

$2.95 MX$51.7

-0.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 ALL 329

$4.51 MX$79.1

-10.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ALL 175

$1.43 MX$25.12

50.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ALL 89.7

$1.84 MX$32.23

-40.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 ALL 174

$1.57 MX$27.51

35.67%

Eggs

$3.92 ALL 320

$2.51 MX$44.06

56.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 ALL 1,079

$8.28 MX$145

59.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.62 ALL 621

$8.43 MX$148

-9.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.43 ALL 1,258

$10.68 MX$187

44.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 ALL 144

$2.61 MX$45.76

-32.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 ALL 218

$1.44 MX$25.22

85.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ALL 162

$1.96 MX$34.41

1.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 ALL 157

$2.09 MX$36.74

-8.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 ALL 107

$1.85 MX$32.47

-29.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ALL 105

$2.17 MX$38.02

-41.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 ALL 122

$1.03 MX$18.09

44.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ALL 61.1

$1.07 MX$18.84

-29.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 ALL 352

$4.10 MX$72.0

5.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.42 ALL 850

$10.17 MX$178

2.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ALL 134

$1.68 MX$29.38

-2.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ALL 168

$2.53 MX$44.31

-18.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ALL 39.78

$0.51 MX$8.93

-3.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.62 ALL 1,519

$26.04 MX$457

-28.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 ALL 292

$3.23 MX$56.7

10.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 ALL 252

$2.41 MX$42.19

27.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.31 ALL 1,412

$3.23 MX$56.6

435.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ALL 170

$1.32 MX$23.17

58.33%

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

$39.4K ALL 3.2M

$29.7K MX$520.9K

32.78%

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

$35.0K ALL 2.9M

$23.7K MX$415.0K

48.03%

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

$108 ALL 8,832

$82.0 MX$1,439

32.07%

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

$17.62 ALL 1,437

$22.95 MX$403

-23.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.27 ALL 1,490

$30.11 MX$528

-39.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 ALL 4,549

$52.0 MX$912

7.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.12 ALL 2,049

$18.53 MX$325

35.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 ALL 786

$4.98 MX$87.3

93.37%

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

$161 ALL 13.1K

$197 MX$3,463

-18.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,544 ALL 452.1K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

3.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 ALL 5,617

$35.60 MX$624

93.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 ALL 4,080

$40.33 MX$707

24.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ALL 8,807

$78.8 MX$1,381

37.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ALL 10.7K

$88.9 MX$1,560

47.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ALL 37.1K

$947 MX$16.6K

-52.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 ALL 28.2K

$474 MX$8,314

-26.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$603 ALL 49.2K

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-63.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$434 ALL 35.4K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-64.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,795 ALL 146.4K

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-55.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,327 ALL 108.2K

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-79.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Ballsh versus $947 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: $278 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 4%, 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 $1,816 per month in Ballsh and $1,884 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 12% 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 $1,211, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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.