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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,702 in Birzebbuga versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Birzebbuga versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,778 in Birzebbuga versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Birzebbuga is roughly 30% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Birzebbuga is 23% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.58 €13.43

$11.96 MX$203

30.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.0 €77.6

$47.38 MX$804

89.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.49 €10.76

$11.75 MX$199

6.30%

Cappuccino

$2.69 €2.32

$4.12 MX$70.0

-34.71%

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

$2.16 €1.87

$1.40 MX$23.74

54.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$0.91 MX$15.48

136.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 €1.96

$3.21 MX$54.4

-28.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 €3.05

$7.07 MX$120

-49.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.68 MX$28.44

-20.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 €1.22

$2.15 MX$36.48

-33.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 €2.72

$1.77 MX$30.10

78.53%

Eggs

$3.84 €3.31

$2.82 MX$47.76

36.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.33 €7.18

$9.20 MX$156

-9.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.17 €8.76

$9.23 MX$157

10.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.25 €16.59

$12.64 MX$214

52.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.95 MX$50.1

-6.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.84

$1.58 MX$26.79

34.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 €2.78

$2.22 MX$37.70

45.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.16 €2.73

$2.36 MX$40.09

33.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.45

$1.99 MX$33.81

-15.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.98 MX$33.58

-1.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.24 MX$21.04

27.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.66

$1.21 MX$20.55

-37.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.26 €5.40

$4.60 MX$78.1

36.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.17 €6.18

$10.52 MX$178

-31.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.69 MX$28.70

-2.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 €2.15

$2.77 MX$47.06

-10.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 €2.07

$0.60 MX$10.22

301.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.26 €13.15

$29.70 MX$504

-48.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 €4.98

$5.24 MX$88.8

10.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.39 €2.06

$3.65 MX$61.9

-34.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.31 €24.40

$5.78 MX$98.1

389.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.54 MX$26.09

3.90%

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

$31.2K €26.9K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

36.93%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

32.74%

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

$97.2 €83.8

$90.7 MX$1,538

7.18%

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

$26.01 €22.42

$25.19 MX$427

3.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.96 €37.89

$31.75 MX$539

38.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 €49.40

$68.8 MX$1,167

-16.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.19 €19.99

$29.37 MX$498

-21.04%

Cinema Ticket

$10.38 €8.95

$4.86 MX$82.5

113.58%

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

$388 €335

$226 MX$3,828

72.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,219 €7,947

$4,194 MX$71.1K

119.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 €77.2

$47.38 MX$804

88.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.87 €34.37

$43.45 MX$737

-8.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €81.8

$80.2 MX$1,361

18.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.7 €70.4

$91.4 MX$1,550

-10.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,048

$1,086 MX$18.4K

12.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 €680

$409 MX$6,933

93.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 €1,545

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-9.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 €1,205

$1,281 MX$21.7K

9.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,047 €3,488

$4,046 MX$68.6K

0.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,912 €2,510

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-56.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,845 €1,591

$773 MX$13.1K

138.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

11.45

-74.67%

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

Last update for Birzebbuga: September 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,216 in Birzebbuga and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Birzebbuga pays 139% 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: $90.0 in Birzebbuga vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $278 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 139% higher in Birzebbuga, 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: $1,216 in Birzebbuga versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $90.0 in Birzebbuga. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,702 per month in Birzebbuga versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,702 in Birzebbuga, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Birzebbuga. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Birzebbuga, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Birzebbuga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.