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: $1,503 in Biella versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,324 in Biella versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,146 in Biella versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Biella is roughly 19% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Biella is 10% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.38

$11.60 MX$199

52.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 €59.5

$47.11 MX$809

44.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.19 €9.75

$11.88 MX$204

-5.81%

Cappuccino

$1.89 €1.65

$3.98 MX$68.2

-52.51%

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

$3.11 €2.71

$1.43 MX$24.49

117.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.21

$0.82 MX$14.16

69.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 €4.48

$3.19 MX$54.7

61.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €4.04

$6.79 MX$117

-31.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.68 MX$28.76

-24.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 €2.00

$2.20 MX$37.71

4.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 €2.66

$1.71 MX$29.32

78.95%

Eggs

$3.90 €3.40

$2.74 MX$47.05

42.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.63 €12.75

$9.58 MX$164

52.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 €8.28

$9.01 MX$155

5.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.76 €18.96

$12.81 MX$220

69.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.76

$2.89 MX$49.58

9.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 €1.96

$1.50 MX$25.70

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$2.15 MX$36.87

-8.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 €4.25

$2.26 MX$38.79

115.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 €1.68

$1.98 MX$34.00

-2.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.62

$1.99 MX$34.15

-6.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.23 MX$21.18

26.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 €0.32

$1.20 MX$20.54

-69.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.13

$4.55 MX$78.1

54.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 €6.21

$10.37 MX$178

-31.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.62 MX$27.79

27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.31

$2.88 MX$49.44

-7.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 €1.75

$0.60 MX$10.30

235.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.32 €33.39

$28.80 MX$494

33.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.98 €13.05

$5.39 MX$92.5

177.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 €1.48

$3.73 MX$64.0

-54.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.80 €25.96

$5.77 MX$99.0

416.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.54 MX$26.37

31.17%

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

$37.8K €32.9K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

67.51%

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

$35.8K €31.2K

$26.1K MX$447.3K

37.37%

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

$200 €174

$91.4 MX$1,569

118.73%

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

$8.29 €7.22

$25.20 MX$433

-67.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.30 €24.66

$31.24 MX$536

-9.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.9 €60.9

$67.2 MX$1,154

3.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.22 €21.97

$29.11 MX$500

-13.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.02 €7.86

$4.86 MX$83.5

85.60%

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

$721 €628

$224 MX$3,839

222.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,122

$4,229 MX$72.6K

147.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 €76.5

$47.10 MX$808

86.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.66 €37.17

$44.29 MX$760

-3.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 €75.5

$80.1 MX$1,375

8.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €98.6

$92.7 MX$1,591

22.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 €371

$1,063 MX$18.2K

-59.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 €325

$390 MX$6,698

-4.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 €616

$2,149 MX$36.9K

-67.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 €504

$1,272 MX$21.8K

-54.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,707 €1,487

$4,001 MX$68.7K

-57.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$898 €783

$6,502 MX$111.6K

-86.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,926 €1,678

$758 MX$13.0K

154.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

11.45

-70.31%

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

Last update for Biella: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Biella and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Biella pays 154% 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: $68.0 in Biella vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $276 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 19% in total monthly costs ($1,503 vs $1,266 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 154% 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: $426 in Biella versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Biella versus $224 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 20% higher in Biella. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,503 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 19% less than in Biella. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.