Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barrigada and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,681 in Barrigada, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barrigada outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Barrigada

🇬🇺 Guam

$2,681

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barrigada 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 Barrigada and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,681 in Barrigada versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Barrigada $2,681
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,466 in Barrigada versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Barrigada $3,466
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,252 in Barrigada versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Barrigada $4,252
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Barrigada is roughly 123% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barrigada is 97% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$43.37 MX$814

134.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.84 $6.84

$4.30 MX$80.6

59.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.44 MX$27.11

0.69%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

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

$409 $409

$84.8 MX$1,592

381.80%

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

$98.5 $98.5

$23.41 MX$439

320.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.2 $81.2

$28.66 MX$538

183.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.1 $80.1

$57.1 MX$1,071

40.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$12.89 $12.89

$5.14 MX$96.5

150.78%

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

$707 $707

$207 MX$3,878

242.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,385 $2,385

$980 MX$18.4K

143.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,986 $1,986

$381 MX$7,150

421.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 $3,156

$1,708 MX$32.1K

84.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,845 $2,845

$1,075 MX$20.2K

164.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,731 $4,731

$735 MX$13.8K

544.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Barrigada: October 24, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barrigada

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Barrigada

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Barrigada

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barrigada

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Barrigada

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Barrigada

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Barrigada

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,385 in Barrigada and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barrigada pays about 6.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $102 in Barrigada vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for two.

Good to know

🇬🇺 Barrigada

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

13:13 1:13 PM

22:13 10:13 PM

15 h behind Barrigada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,875

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Barrigada Playa del Carmen 13,190 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Barrigada
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

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

Playa del Carmen is about 55% cheaper overall, especially in utilities and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Barrigada is about 6.4 times higher, 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: $2,385 in Barrigada versus $980 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 $43 versus $102 in Barrigada. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $707 in Barrigada versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,681 in Barrigada, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Barrigada. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Barrigada on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.