Cost of Living Comparison Between Boulogne-Billancourt and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Boulogne-Billancourt and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,848 in Boulogne-Billancourt versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,173 in Boulogne-Billancourt versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,497 in Boulogne-Billancourt versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Boulogne-Billancourt is roughly 120% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Boulogne-Billancourt is 113% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.02 €14.64

$11.73 MX$203

45.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 €61.2

$41.62 MX$720

71.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.81 €11.88

$10.64 MX$184

29.79%

Cappuccino

$4.71 €4.06

$3.52 MX$60.9

33.81%

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

$4.12 €3.54

$1.51 MX$26.12

172.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 €2.80

$0.97 MX$16.84

236.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.24 €7.09

$2.95 MX$51.0

179.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 €5.08

$4.45 MX$77.0

32.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.38 MX$23.93

0.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.89 MX$32.72

7.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 €2.47

$1.64 MX$28.32

75.61%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.96

$2.51 MX$43.34

37.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.63 €18.60

$8.34 MX$144

159.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.39 €10.66

$8.34 MX$144

48.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.88 €20.54

$10.73 MX$186

122.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 €2.94

$2.60 MX$45.04

31.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 €1.98

$1.46 MX$25.20

57.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 €2.31

$1.90 MX$32.87

41.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 €3.12

$2.08 MX$35.91

74.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 €2.34

$1.78 MX$30.71

52.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 €2.54

$2.19 MX$37.80

35.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.04 MX$17.99

74.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.57

$1.08 MX$18.62

-38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.63 €11.72

$4.08 MX$70.6

234.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.19 €7.90

$10.32 MX$178

-10.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.35

$1.71 MX$29.61

59.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.22

$2.58 MX$44.54

44.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 €2.11

$0.51 MX$8.81

382.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.73 €42.78

$26.46 MX$458

87.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 €4.02

$3.26 MX$56.4

43.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.49 MX$43.09

-31.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$54.5 €46.89

$3.25 MX$56.2

1577.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.31 MX$22.61

65.65%

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

$35.8K €30.8K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

18.15%

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

$35.8K €30.8K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

52.69%

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

$253 €217

$82.9 MX$1,433

204.92%

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

$23.29 €20.03

$22.22 MX$384

4.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.73 €30.73

$29.34 MX$507

21.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 €55.6

$51.6 MX$893

25.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.41 €15.83

$18.32 MX$317

0.49%

Cinema Ticket

$15.81 €13.60

$5.07 MX$87.6

211.83%

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

$863 €743

$201 MX$3,473

329.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,662 €7,451

$5,212 MX$90.1K

66.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.0 €80.9

$36.92 MX$639

154.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.23 €41.49

$39.79 MX$688

21.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €84.7

$78.5 MX$1,357

25.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 €136

$87.1 MX$1,506

81.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,354 €1,165

$973 MX$16.8K

39.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 €1,244

$468 MX$8,090

209.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,359

$1,641 MX$28.4K

67.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,440 €2,099

$1,221 MX$21.1K

99.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,109 €3,534

$3,946 MX$68.3K

4.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,193 €2,746

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-50.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,411 €3,795

$664 MX$11.5K

564.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

11.42

-68.30%

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

Last update for Boulogne-Billancourt: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,354 in Boulogne-Billancourt and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boulogne-Billancourt pays 564% 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: $71.0 in Boulogne-Billancourt vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $249 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 120% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Boulogne-Billancourt pays 564% 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: $1,354 in Boulogne-Billancourt versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $863 in Boulogne-Billancourt 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 55% higher in Boulogne-Billancourt. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,848 in Boulogne-Billancourt, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Boulogne-Billancourt. 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 Boulogne-Billancourt, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Boulogne-Billancourt 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 120% less than in Boulogne-Billancourt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.