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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,736 per month in Barreiro vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,406 per month in Barreiro vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,076 per month in Barreiro vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Barreiro costs about 37% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Barreiro sits 29% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.95 €12.02

$11.87 MX$204

17.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.99 €39.62

$42.90 MX$736

7.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.67 €8.33

$10.65 MX$183

-9.20%

Cappuccino

$2.56 €2.21

$3.45 MX$59.2

-25.80%

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

$2.18 €1.88

$1.50 MX$25.81

45.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.03

$0.95 MX$16.28

148.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 €1.96

$3.03 MX$51.9

-25.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €2.97

$4.61 MX$79.1

-25.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 €0.90

$1.38 MX$23.61

-24.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.85 MX$31.70

-14.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.61 MX$27.65

7.45%

Eggs

$3.20 €2.75

$2.59 MX$44.51

23.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 €7.96

$8.26 MX$142

11.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.93 €6.84

$8.37 MX$144

-5.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 €12.14

$10.66 MX$183

32.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.63 MX$45.12

1.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.49 MX$25.53

-5.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.92 MX$32.94

11.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.09 MX$35.81

-27.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.86 MX$31.88

-17.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.26 MX$38.81

-1.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 €0.80

$1.06 MX$18.23

-12.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.57

$1.09 MX$18.67

-38.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 €5.23

$4.15 MX$71.2

46.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.37 €5.49

$10.39 MX$178

-38.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.72 MX$29.59

-23.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.95

$2.61 MX$44.85

-57.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.54 MX$9.30

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.19 €39.80

$26.94 MX$462

71.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 €3.50

$3.13 MX$53.7

30.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.51 MX$43.09

-50.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.50 €15.08

$3.15 MX$54.1

455.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.27 MX$21.88

56.69%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

12.91%

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

$38.7K €33.3K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

64.05%

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

$149 €128

$83.0 MX$1,425

79.28%

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

$22.28 €19.19

$22.71 MX$390

-1.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.57 €36.68

$29.46 MX$506

44.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.30 €29.56

$51.0 MX$875

-32.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.70 €11.80

$18.33 MX$315

-25.26%

Cinema Ticket

$8.53 €7.35

$4.93 MX$84.5

73.02%

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

$626 €539

$197 MX$3,386

217.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

208.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €75.5

$36.90 MX$633

137.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.41 €33.10

$39.89 MX$685

-3.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 €76.2

$80.0 MX$1,373

10.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 €81.0

$89.5 MX$1,536

5.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 €838

$956 MX$16.4K

1.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 €708

$477 MX$8,189

72.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 €1,316

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-7.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 €958

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-9.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,052 €3,492

$3,918 MX$67.2K

3.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,907 €2,505

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-54.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$925 €797

$667 MX$11.4K

38.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.43

11.42

-52.45%

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

Last update for Barreiro: June 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Barreiro versus $956 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.

Salaries run about 39% higher in Barreiro, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Barreiro versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $236 in Barreiro vs $250 in Playa del Carmen – so Barreiro wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,736 in Barreiro, $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 37% apart. Barreiro costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,603 per month in Barreiro and $1,906 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 Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,736 in Barreiro and $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 71% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,271, than in Barreiro at $1,736. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barreiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,271 in Playa del Carmen to $1,736 in Barreiro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barreiro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.