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: $1,959 in Bilbao versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,801 in Bilbao versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,643 in Bilbao versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 55% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bilbao is 47% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 €15.31

$11.72 MX$203

50.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €60.5

$41.89 MX$726

66.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.64 €10.10

$10.51 MX$182

10.75%

Cappuccino

$2.29 €1.99

$3.59 MX$62.1

-36.21%

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

$2.98 €2.58

$1.51 MX$26.14

97.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.72

$0.92 MX$15.86

115.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 €3.24

$2.96 MX$51.2

26.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 €3.17

$4.41 MX$76.4

-17.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.40 MX$24.19

-7.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 €1.25

$1.88 MX$32.65

-23.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.56 MX$27.01

5.13%

Eggs

$2.87 €2.49

$2.61 MX$45.21

9.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.22 €13.20

$8.32 MX$144

82.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.74 €7.58

$8.35 MX$145

4.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 €11.50

$10.86 MX$188

22.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 €2.42

$2.71 MX$47.00

2.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$1.51 MX$26.08

54.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$1.87 MX$32.46

31.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.06

$2.19 MX$37.95

8.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.45

$1.86 MX$32.19

-9.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$2.23 MX$38.65

-0.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.07 MX$18.51

32.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.09 MX$18.82

5.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.86 €5.95

$4.19 MX$72.6

63.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.95

$10.43 MX$181

-23.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.16

$1.66 MX$28.72

-19.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.28

$2.61 MX$45.26

0.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.68

$0.54 MX$9.39

259.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.56 €43.00

$26.16 MX$453

89.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 €4.78

$3.08 MX$53.3

78.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 €0.84

$2.40 MX$41.67

-59.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.05 €29.53

$3.13 MX$54.2

987.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.31 MX$22.72

33.59%

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

$38.7K €33.6K

$29.8K MX$516.5K

29.89%

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

$32.1K €27.9K

$23.3K MX$404.1K

37.67%

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

$155 €134

$81.3 MX$1,408

90.45%

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

$21.27 €18.46

$22.56 MX$391

-5.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.92 €30.29

$30.05 MX$521

16.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 €48.84

$52.9 MX$917

6.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.87 €8.56

$18.39 MX$319

-46.33%

Cinema Ticket

$10.15 €8.80

$4.92 MX$85.3

106.30%

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

$556 €482

$201 MX$3,480

176.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,034 €7,837

$5,175 MX$89.7K

74.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.3 €72.3

$35.92 MX$622

131.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.59 €30.87

$40.13 MX$695

-11.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 €72.1

$79.7 MX$1,381

4.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €97.2

$86.5 MX$1,498

29.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 €966

$978 MX$16.9K

13.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$933 €809

$470 MX$8,153

98.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 €1,545

$1,651 MX$28.6K

7.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 €1,149

$1,203 MX$20.9K

10.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,936 €5,150

$3,953 MX$68.5K

50.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,776 €3,276

$6,607 MX$114.5K

-42.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,310 €2,004

$677 MX$11.7K

241.35%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Bilbao and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 241% 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: $70.0 in Bilbao vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 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

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

Bilbao and Playa del Carmen differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($1,959 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 241% higher in Bilbao, 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: $1,113 in Bilbao versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Bilbao 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 12% higher in Bilbao. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,959 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 55% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.