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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,945 in Bilbao versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,794 in Bilbao versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,643 in Bilbao versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 51% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bilbao is 45% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €14.58

$11.94 MX$209

42.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.5

$42.75 MX$748

62.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 €9.80

$10.59 MX$185

8.12%

Cappuccino

$2.41 €2.06

$3.62 MX$63.4

-33.43%

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

$3.02 €2.58

$1.47 MX$25.69

105.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.94 MX$16.51

115.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 €3.16

$3.09 MX$54.1

19.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 €3.32

$4.46 MX$78.0

-13.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.43 MX$24.94

-13.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.88 MX$32.97

-21.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.41

$1.63 MX$28.50

1.23%

Eggs

$2.93 €2.51

$2.64 MX$46.26

10.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.76 €13.49

$8.21 MX$144

91.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.77 €7.51

$8.29 MX$145

5.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.57 €11.62

$11.10 MX$194

22.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.26

$2.65 MX$46.40

-0.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.50 MX$26.26

58.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.10

$1.99 MX$34.79

23.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 €2.01

$2.08 MX$36.33

12.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.79 MX$31.29

-3.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 €1.97

$2.18 MX$38.09

5.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.08 MX$18.84

37.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.04 MX$18.15

9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €5.99

$3.97 MX$69.5

76.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.44 €7.23

$10.20 MX$179

-17.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.14

$1.73 MX$30.22

-22.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.23

$2.50 MX$43.71

4.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 €1.70

$0.52 MX$9.07

280.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.12 €42.05

$26.97 MX$472

82.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.56 €4.76

$3.14 MX$55.0

77.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 €0.82

$2.40 MX$42.04

-60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.26 €28.47

$3.09 MX$54.0

976.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.27 MX$22.28

37.01%

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

$39.0K €33.4K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

26.30%

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

$32.4K €27.8K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

39.09%

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

$153 €131

$82.0 MX$1,435

87.07%

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

$21.52 €18.42

$22.45 MX$393

-4.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.05 €29.15

$29.66 MX$519

14.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €49.47

$51.9 MX$908

11.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.94 €8.51

$18.67 MX$327

-46.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 €8.56

$4.97 MX$87.0

101.21%

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

$543 €464

$198 MX$3,462

174.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,023 €7,724

$5,273 MX$92.3K

71.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 €72.3

$36.34 MX$636

132.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.67 €30.53

$40.05 MX$701

-10.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.2 €70.4

$79.9 MX$1,398

2.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €96.5

$88.9 MX$1,555

26.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 €917

$963 MX$16.9K

11.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$962 €824

$465 MX$8,133

107.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 €1,535

$1,596 MX$27.9K

12.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 €1,162

$1,209 MX$21.2K

12.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,973 €5,113

$3,942 MX$69.0K

51.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,752 €3,212

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-41.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,413 €2,066

$720 MX$12.6K

234.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

11.42

-70.40%

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

Last update for Bilbao: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Bilbao and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 235% 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: $69.0 in Bilbao vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $251 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

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

Bilbao and Playa del Carmen differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($1,945 vs $1,287 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bilbao pays 235% more on average, 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: $1,071 in Bilbao versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $543 in Bilbao versus $198 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 13% higher in Bilbao. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,945 in Bilbao, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. 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, Bilbao 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 51% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.