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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,196 in Barcelos versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,944 in Barcelos versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,692 in Barcelos versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Barcelos costs roughly 8% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Barcelos 11% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.54 €9.93

$11.73 MX$203

-1.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.97 €40.41

$41.62 MX$720

12.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.18 €7.90

$10.64 MX$184

-13.72%

Cappuccino

$2.00 €1.72

$3.52 MX$60.9

-43.18%

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

$2.00 €1.72

$1.51 MX$26.12

32.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.97 MX$16.84

48.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 €2.77

$2.95 MX$51.0

9.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 €3.07

$4.45 MX$77.0

-19.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 €0.95

$1.38 MX$23.93

-19.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.89 MX$32.72

-6.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.64 MX$28.32

0.61%

Eggs

$3.11 €2.67

$2.51 MX$43.34

23.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 €9.64

$8.34 MX$144

34.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 €7.10

$8.34 MX$144

-1.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.72 €11.80

$10.73 MX$186

27.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.60 MX$45.04

-22.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.46 MX$25.20

-1.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.90 MX$32.87

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.08 MX$35.91

42.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.78 MX$30.71

-23.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$2.19 MX$37.80

-13.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.04 MX$17.99

60.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.08 MX$18.62

-17.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.43 €5.53

$4.08 MX$70.6

57.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.57 €3.93

$10.32 MX$178

-55.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.71 MX$29.61

-30.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.00

$2.58 MX$44.54

-9.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.51 MX$8.81

345.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.99 €19.78

$26.46 MX$458

-13.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.90

$3.26 MX$56.4

38.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 €1.03

$2.49 MX$43.09

-51.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.46 €15.02

$3.25 MX$56.2

437.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.31 MX$22.61

48.85%

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

$37.2K €32.0K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

23.00%

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

$40.0K €34.4K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

70.51%

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

$139 €120

$82.9 MX$1,433

67.65%

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

$21.75 €18.71

$22.22 MX$384

-2.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.42 €35.63

$29.34 MX$507

41.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.64 €33.24

$51.6 MX$893

-25.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.05 €6.06

$18.32 MX$317

-61.52%

Cinema Ticket

$8.41 €7.23

$5.07 MX$87.6

65.88%

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

$285 €245

$201 MX$3,473

42.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,824 €5,009

$5,212 MX$90.1K

11.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.1 €63.7

$36.92 MX$639

100.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.92 €33.48

$39.79 MX$688

-2.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 €72.9

$78.5 MX$1,357

7.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.6 €84.8

$87.1 MX$1,506

13.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 €377

$973 MX$16.8K

-54.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 €300

$468 MX$8,090

-25.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 €766

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-45.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 €628

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-40.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,821 €2,427

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-28.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,593 €1,370

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-75.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,117 €961

$664 MX$11.5K

68.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.15

11.42

-54.90%

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

Last update for Barcelos: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $439 in Barcelos and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelos pays 68% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Barcelos vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $249 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

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

Barcelos is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Barcelos pays 68% 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: $439 in Barcelos versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelos – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,196 in Barcelos versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Barcelos but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Barcelos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Barcelos 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 Barcelos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.