Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brest and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Brest: $845 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Brest
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Brest Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Brest

🇧🇾 Belarus

$845

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brest and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Brest and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $845 per month in Brest vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Brest $845
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $1,344 per month in Brest vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Brest $1,344
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $1,843 per month in Brest vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Brest $1,843
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Brest is about 30% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brest and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Brest 37% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.09 BYN 39.27

$10.76 MX$199

21.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.95 BYN 114

$43.03 MX$795

-11.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.49 BYN 19.46

$11.79 MX$218

-44.95%

Cappuccino

$2.13 BYN 6.39

$3.87 MX$71.4

-44.96%

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

$0.94 BYN 2.82

$1.37 MX$25.29

-31.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 BYN 2.66

$0.84 MX$15.44

5.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 BYN 9.66

$3.10 MX$57.3

3.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 BYN 12.05

$5.07 MX$93.6

-20.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 BYN 3.38

$1.44 MX$26.55

-21.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 BYN 3.02

$2.23 MX$41.23

-54.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 BYN 2.94

$1.47 MX$27.17

-33.33%

Eggs

$1.54 BYN 4.62

$2.53 MX$46.71

-39.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.79 BYN 20.37

$7.30 MX$135

-6.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 BYN 10.65

$7.86 MX$145

-54.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.42 BYN 10.25

$12.79 MX$236

-73.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 BYN 5.82

$2.90 MX$53.6

-33.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 BYN 7.24

$1.44 MX$26.53

67.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 BYN 6.40

$2.55 MX$47.07

-16.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 BYN 7.34

$2.06 MX$38.03

18.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 BYN 2.39

$2.00 MX$36.97

-60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 BYN 4.83

$2.01 MX$37.07

-19.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 BYN 5.85

$1.19 MX$22.02

63.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 BYN 4.04

$1.26 MX$23.23

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.57 BYN 7.72

$4.40 MX$81.4

-41.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.73 BYN 23.20

$9.59 MX$177

-19.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 BYN 3.57

$1.59 MX$29.41

-25.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 BYN 5.81

$2.81 MX$51.9

-30.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 BYN 0.97

$0.57 MX$10.47

-43.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.20 BYN 48.60

$27.82 MX$514

-41.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 BYN 2.28

$4.98 MX$92.1

-84.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 BYN 1.72

$3.50 MX$64.6

-83.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.00 BYN 51.0

$5.40 MX$99.8

214.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 BYN 2.58

$1.47 MX$27.08

-41.50%

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

$18.9K BYN 56.8K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

-9.85%

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

$27.7K BYN 83.0K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

15.68%

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

$64.3 BYN 193

$84.2 MX$1,556

-23.62%

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

$11.35 BYN 34.04

$23.99 MX$443

-52.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.41 BYN 67.2

$29.02 MX$536

-22.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.33 BYN 100.0

$63.0 MX$1,164

-47.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.98 BYN 23.93

$29.14 MX$539

-72.61%

Cinema Ticket

$5.19 BYN 15.58

$4.94 MX$91.3

5.06%

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

$336 BYN 1,008

$204 MX$3,763

65.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,135 BYN 18.4K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

55.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 BYN 154

$43.60 MX$806

18.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.19 BYN 118

$43.12 MX$797

-9.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 BYN 397

$75.8 MX$1,400

74.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 BYN 255

$88.6 MX$1,637

-4.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 BYN 1,071

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-64.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 BYN 549

$374 MX$6,911

-51.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 BYN 1,528

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-70.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 BYN 959

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-71.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,387 BYN 7,161

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-39.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,788 BYN 8,363

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-54.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$520 BYN 1,560

$754 MX$13.9K

-31.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-3.93%

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

Last update for Brest: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Brest

$183 21.7%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 104% $191

Eating Out

Brest

$181 21.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 11.6% $21

Groceries & Markets

Brest

$180 21.2%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 43.9% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Brest

$139 16.4%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 18.5% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brest

$98 11.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 39.9% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Brest

$44 5.2%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 66.7% $29

Getting Around

Brest

$21 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 149% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $357 in Brest versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 45% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Brest versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $180 vs $258 – making Brest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇾 Brest

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

03:49 3:49 AM

8 h behind Brest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,521

149,923

💱 Currency

Belarusian Ruble BYN Br

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BYN = 0.333 USD

1 BYN = 0.297 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BYN – Belarusian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇾 Belarusian Ruble (Br)

Belarusian Ruble exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3 BYN (1 BYN = 0.333 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 BYN (1 BYN = 0.297 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to BYN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brest Playa del Carmen 9,530 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Brest
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 43% more than Brest, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,268 per month in Brest and $1,816 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 44% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Brest and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Brest, where all-in costs run around $845, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Brest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Brest costs $845 versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Brest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.