Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barreiras and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Barreiras: $829 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Barreiras
Learn more

Barreiras Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Barreiras

🇧🇷 Brazil

$829

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barreiras and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barreiras and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $829 in Barreiras versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

Barreiras $829
Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,316 in Barreiras versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Barreiras $1,316
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,803 in Barreiras versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

Barreiras $1,803
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Barreiras costs roughly 31% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Barreiras 39% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.60 R$30.61

$10.67 MX$199

-47.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.98 R$164

$43.80 MX$815

-31.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 R$40.14

$11.79 MX$219

-37.66%

Cappuccino

$1.90 R$10.39

$3.79 MX$70.5

-49.87%

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

$1.26 R$6.86

$1.30 MX$24.14

-3.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 R$4.04

$0.83 MX$15.51

-10.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 R$10.38

$3.15 MX$58.6

-39.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 R$15.40

$4.93 MX$91.8

-42.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 R$5.51

$1.41 MX$26.22

-28.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 R$8.68

$2.20 MX$40.86

-27.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.59

$1.47 MX$27.40

-17.69%

Eggs

$2.09 R$11.40

$2.50 MX$46.46

-16.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.82 R$48.16

$7.29 MX$136

20.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.14 R$22.60

$7.95 MX$148

-47.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.98 R$43.60

$12.86 MX$239

-37.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 R$11.68

$2.90 MX$53.9

-26.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.76

$1.38 MX$25.74

-10.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 R$6.11

$2.49 MX$46.35

-55.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 R$8.02

$2.03 MX$37.77

-27.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 R$6.41

$2.02 MX$37.68

-42.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.66

$1.90 MX$35.42

-45.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$4.19

$1.14 MX$21.30

-32.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 R$4.19

$1.24 MX$23.05

-37.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.38 R$12.98

$4.27 MX$79.5

-44.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.34 R$40.06

$9.81 MX$183

-25.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$6.43

$1.59 MX$29.51

-25.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 R$10.62

$2.75 MX$51.1

-29.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 R$5.16

$0.51 MX$9.58

86.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.14 R$225

$27.39 MX$510

50.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 R$6.42

$4.76 MX$88.6

-75.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 R$4.41

$3.25 MX$60.5

-75.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.58 R$41.37

$5.39 MX$100

40.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.68

$1.53 MX$28.44

-20.26%

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

$21.8K R$119.1K

$21.2K MX$394.8K

2.80%

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

$31.6K R$172.4K

$23.3K MX$432.9K

35.73%

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

$71.6 R$391

$83.5 MX$1,554

-14.30%

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

$11.56 R$63.1

$23.19 MX$431

-50.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.43 R$106

$27.61 MX$514

-29.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.02 R$131

$56.4 MX$1,050

-57.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.08 R$142

$28.19 MX$525

-7.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.95 R$37.95

$5.00 MX$93.1

39.00%

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

$259 R$1,416

$207 MX$3,854

25.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,653 R$36.3K

$5,231 MX$97.3K

27.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 R$279

$43.45 MX$809

17.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.31 R$258

$42.54 MX$792

11.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 R$455

$72.8 MX$1,354

14.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.3 R$367

$88.4 MX$1,645

-23.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$331 R$1,808

$995 MX$18.5K

-66.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$231 R$1,264

$382 MX$7,116

-39.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$629 R$3,432

$1,674 MX$31.2K

-62.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 R$2,425

$1,081 MX$20.1K

-58.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,572 R$8,587

$3,909 MX$72.7K

-59.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,128 R$6,158

$6,138 MX$114.2K

-81.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-3.93%

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

Last update for Barreiras: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barreiras

$231 27.9%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 65.2% $151

Groceries & Markets

Barreiras

$183 22%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 41% $75

Eating Out

Barreiras

$113 13.6%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 77.5% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Barreiras

$112 13.5%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 0.7% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barreiras

$103 12.4%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 31% $32

Getting Around

Barreiras

$50 6%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 0.6% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Barreiras

$38 4.6%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 75.2% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $331 in Barreiras and $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30 in Barreiras vs $44 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $257 per month, with Barreiras cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Barreiras

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

13:29 1:29 PM

11:29 11:29 AM

2 h behind Barreiras

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

159,734

149,923

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.11 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.83 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barreiras Playa del Carmen 5,870 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Barreiras
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Barreiras is about 31% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,244 in Barreiras and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $331 in Barreiras versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $259 in Barreiras versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $829 in Barreiras versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Barreiras but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Barreiras 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.