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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,673 in Barakaldo versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,479 in Barakaldo versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,286 in Barakaldo versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Barakaldo is roughly 32% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barakaldo is 22% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 €15.02

$11.60 MX$200

48.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 €61.8

$47.11 MX$812

50.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.64 €11.02

$11.88 MX$205

6.40%

Cappuccino

$2.66 €2.32

$3.98 MX$68.6

-33.17%

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

$3.13 €2.73

$1.43 MX$24.60

118.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.84

$0.82 MX$14.22

157.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.10

$3.19 MX$55.0

11.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 €2.92

$6.79 MX$117

-50.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.04

$1.68 MX$28.89

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 €1.44

$2.20 MX$37.88

-24.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 €1.22

$1.71 MX$29.45

-18.13%

Eggs

$3.41 €2.97

$2.74 MX$47.26

24.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.43 €10.83

$9.58 MX$165

29.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.32 €7.25

$9.01 MX$155

-7.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 €12.18

$12.81 MX$221

9.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.89 MX$49.81

-3.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.50 MX$25.81

12.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.15 MX$37.03

-0.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.49 €2.17

$2.26 MX$38.96

10.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.98 MX$34.15

-22.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 €2.15

$1.99 MX$34.30

23.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.23 MX$21.28

4.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 €0.60

$1.20 MX$20.63

-42.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.97

$4.55 MX$78.5

50.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.22 €7.17

$10.37 MX$179

-20.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.24

$1.62 MX$27.91

-11.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.84

$2.88 MX$49.67

-26.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 €1.44

$0.60 MX$10.35

175.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.41 €30.00

$28.80 MX$497

19.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 €4.90

$5.39 MX$92.9

4.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.90

$3.73 MX$64.3

-72.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.90 €28.68

$5.77 MX$99.5

470.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.54 MX$26.48

12.34%

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

$36.6K €31.9K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

62.23%

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

$30.1K €26.3K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

15.68%

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

$148 €129

$91.4 MX$1,576

61.57%

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

$19.19 €16.73

$25.20 MX$435

-23.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.53 €23.13

$31.24 MX$539

-15.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 €40.38

$67.2 MX$1,159

-31.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.70 €14.56

$29.11 MX$502

-42.63%

Cinema Ticket

$10.30 €8.98

$4.86 MX$83.8

111.93%

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

$503 €439

$224 MX$3,856

125.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K €9,415

$4,229 MX$72.9K

155.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €81.5

$47.10 MX$812

98.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.49 €29.19

$44.29 MX$764

-24.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.9 €64.4

$80.1 MX$1,381

-7.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$92.7 MX$1,598

35.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 €813

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-12.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 €606

$390 MX$6,728

78.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,417 €1,236

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-34.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 €908

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-18.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,404 €2,967

$4,001 MX$69.0K

-14.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,281 €1,988

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-64.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,806 €1,574

$758 MX$13.1K

138.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.98

11.45

-73.97%

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

Last update for Barakaldo: September 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $933 in Barakaldo and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barakaldo pays 138% 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: $71.0 in Barakaldo vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $264 vs $276, with Barakaldo cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Barakaldo and Playa del Carmen differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,673 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 138% higher in Barakaldo, 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: $933 in Barakaldo versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $71.0 in Barakaldo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,673 per month in Barakaldo versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,673 in Barakaldo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Barakaldo. 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.

Safety-wise, Barakaldo and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Barakaldo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.