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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,181 in Biarritz versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,562 in Biarritz versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,944 in Biarritz versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Biarritz is roughly 69% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Biarritz is 59% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.74 €17.89

$11.71 MX$199

77.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.6 €71.2

$46.59 MX$791

77.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.39 €12.42

$11.65 MX$198

23.52%

Cappuccino

$3.74 €3.23

$4.09 MX$69.5

-8.56%

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

$2.95 €2.54

$1.37 MX$23.34

115.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.24

$0.83 MX$14.16

72.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.93 €6.85

$3.35 MX$56.9

136.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 €6.05

$6.91 MX$117

1.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.73 MX$29.33

-28.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.26 MX$38.39

-7.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 €1.96

$1.77 MX$30.05

28.25%

Eggs

$3.75 €3.23

$2.73 MX$46.41

37.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.08 €12.15

$9.18 MX$156

53.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.98 €14.65

$8.92 MX$151

90.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.64 €19.53

$12.60 MX$214

79.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 €2.93

$3.02 MX$51.3

12.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 €1.96

$1.57 MX$26.68

44.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 €3.08

$2.13 MX$36.10

67.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 €4.04

$2.26 MX$38.46

107.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.00 MX$34.04

17.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 €2.36

$2.06 MX$35.06

32.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.18 MX$20.04

19.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 €0.45

$1.20 MX$20.45

-56.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.58 €11.72

$4.63 MX$78.7

193.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 €8.87

$10.69 MX$182

-3.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.16 €3.59

$1.62 MX$27.50

156.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €2.94

$2.88 MX$48.93

18.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 €1.49

$0.57 MX$9.74

203.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.71 €38.58

$29.83 MX$507

49.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 €2.05

$5.45 MX$92.5

-56.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 €1.68

$3.70 MX$62.9

-47.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.79 €34.34

$5.98 MX$102

565.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.55 MX$26.38

30.97%

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

$36.4K €31.4K

$22.3K MX$379.2K

63.18%

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

$35.1K €30.3K

$25.9K MX$440.7K

35.44%

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

$232 €200

$89.1 MX$1,514

159.99%

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

$16.31 €14.07

$25.04 MX$425

-34.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.59 €28.12

$31.50 MX$535

3.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 €64.4

$67.8 MX$1,151

10.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.11 €20.80

$28.92 MX$491

-16.63%

Cinema Ticket

$10.38 €8.95

$5.05 MX$85.8

105.54%

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

$813 €701

$225 MX$3,820

261.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K €12.0K

$4,222 MX$71.7K

229.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$121 €105

$47.44 MX$806

155.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €39.49

$44.98 MX$764

1.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €97.0

$82.0 MX$1,392

37.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 €128

$92.1 MX$1,564

60.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$953 €822

$1,069 MX$18.2K

-10.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 €711

$405 MX$6,884

103.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,282 €1,969

$1,935 MX$32.9K

17.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 €1,579

$1,301 MX$22.1K

40.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K €9,101

$3,995 MX$67.9K

163.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,069 €6,962

$6,626 MX$112.5K

21.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,337 €2,017

$749 MX$12.7K

212.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.7

11.45

-67.69%

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

Last update for Biarritz: September 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $953 in Biarritz and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Biarritz pays 212% 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: $83.0 in Biarritz vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $277 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

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

Biarritz and Playa del Carmen differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($2,181 vs $1,293 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 212% higher in Biarritz, 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: $953 in Biarritz versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Biarritz. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $83.0 in Biarritz. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,181 in Biarritz, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Biarritz. 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, Biarritz 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 69% less than in Biarritz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.