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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,519 in Biella versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,357 in Biella versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,195 in Biella versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Biella is roughly 21% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Biella is 14% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.41 €13.34

$11.72 MX$203

31.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.0 €62.3

$41.89 MX$725

71.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 €9.54

$10.51 MX$182

4.76%

Cappuccino

$1.61 €1.39

$3.59 MX$62.0

-55.15%

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

$3.48 €3.02

$1.51 MX$26.10

130.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.12

$0.92 MX$15.83

40.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.12 €4.43

$2.96 MX$51.2

72.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 €4.04

$4.41 MX$76.3

5.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.40 MX$24.16

5.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.88 MX$32.60

7.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$1.56 MX$26.97

50.00%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.55

$2.61 MX$45.14

57.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.64 €12.68

$8.32 MX$144

75.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.02 €8.68

$8.35 MX$145

20.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.93 €19.86

$10.86 MX$188

111.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 €2.09

$2.71 MX$46.93

-11.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 €1.56

$1.51 MX$26.04

19.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.87 MX$32.41

-5.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 €2.99

$2.19 MX$37.89

57.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 €1.37

$1.86 MX$32.14

-15.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.23 MX$38.59

-21.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.07 MX$18.48

21.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 €0.37

$1.09 MX$18.79

-61.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.86 €5.94

$4.19 MX$72.4

63.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.98 €6.05

$10.43 MX$180

-33.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.82

$1.66 MX$28.68

26.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.32

$2.61 MX$45.19

2.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.54 MX$9.37

261.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.03 €32.94

$26.16 MX$453

45.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.49 €9.95

$3.08 MX$53.3

273.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.78

$2.40 MX$41.61

-14.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.9 €49.29

$3.13 MX$54.1

1718.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.31 MX$22.69

58.02%

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

$28.2K €24.5K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-5.27%

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

$32.6K €28.3K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

39.99%

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

$250 €216

$81.3 MX$1,406

207.14%

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

$6.84 €5.92

$22.56 MX$390

-69.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.60 €25.64

$30.05 MX$520

-1.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 €59.6

$52.9 MX$915

30.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.03 €21.67

$18.39 MX$318

36.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.83

$4.92 MX$85.1

83.74%

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

$558 €483

$201 MX$3,474

177.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,961 €6,894

$5,175 MX$89.5K

53.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €78.6

$35.92 MX$622

152.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.13 €32.16

$40.13 MX$694

-7.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.8 €70.0

$79.7 MX$1,379

1.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €101

$86.5 MX$1,496

35.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 €397

$978 MX$16.9K

-53.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$408 €354

$470 MX$8,140

-13.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$790 €684

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-52.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €562

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-46.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,640 €1,420

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-58.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$868 €752

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-86.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,906 €1,651

$677 MX$11.7K

181.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

11.42

-60.86%

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

Last update for Biella: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $459 in Biella and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Biella pays 182% 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: $72.0 in Biella vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $252 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

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

Biella and Playa del Carmen differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,519 vs $1,260 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 182% higher in Biella, 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: $459 in Biella versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Biella versus $201 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 27% higher in Biella. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,519 in Biella, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Biella. 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Biella. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.