Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Holetown and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Holetown: $363 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Holetown, Barbados
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Holetown
🇧🇧 Barbados
$363
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Holetown 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 Holetown and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $363 per month in Holetown vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Holetown $363
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $809 per month in Holetown vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Holetown $809
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,255 per month in Holetown vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Holetown $1,255
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Holetown is about 70% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Holetown and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Holetown 73% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Holetown
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.54 BBD 25.08
$10.92 MX$205
14.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$105 BBD 209
$43.37 MX$815
141.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.21 BBD 26.43
$11.78 MX$221
12.14%
Cappuccino
$4.58 BBD 9.17
$3.81 MX$71.6
20.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 BBD 3.03
$1.28 MX$24.10
17.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 BBD 2.53
$0.78 MX$14.71
62.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 BBD 3.56
$3.17 MX$59.5
-43.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 BBD 6.15
$4.93 MX$92.7
-37.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Holetown
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
-
$1.41 MX$26.43
-
White Bread (500g)
-
$2.22 MX$41.66
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
-
$1.42 MX$26.64
-
Eggs
-
$2.52 MX$47.41
-
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$7.26 MX$137
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$7.70 MX$145
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$12.69 MX$239
-
Apples (1kg)
-
$2.78 MX$52.3
-
Banana (1kg)
-
$1.37 MX$25.71
-
Oranges (1kg)
-
$2.55 MX$47.94
-
Tomato (1kg)
-
$2.12 MX$39.90
-
Potato (1kg)
-
$1.94 MX$36.43
-
Onion (1kg)
-
$1.89 MX$35.44
-
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$1.15 MX$21.55
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.18 MX$22.16
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$4.30 MX$80.7
-
Wine (Bottle)
-
$9.95 MX$187
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.58 MX$29.76
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.67 MX$50.2
-
🚌 Getting Around
Holetown
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.71 BBD 3.41
$0.55 MX$10.40
210.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.62 MX$500
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$4.97 MX$93.4
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$3.33 MX$62.6
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$5.36 MX$101
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
-
$1.44 MX$27.14
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$20.7K MX$388.4K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$23.5K MX$441.0K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Holetown
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$84.8 MX$1,594
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.39 BBD 60.8
$23.41 MX$440
29.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$28.66 MX$539
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Holetown
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$79.6 BBD 159
$57.1 MX$1,072
39.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.91 MX$543
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.68 BBD 25.37
$5.14 MX$96.6
146.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Holetown
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$207 MX$3,882
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,305 BBD 12.6K
$3,927 MX$73.8K
60.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Holetown
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$43.35 MX$815
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$41.44 MX$779
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$74.2 MX$1,394
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$89.3 MX$1,677
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Holetown
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$980 MX$18.4K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$381 MX$7,157
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,708 MX$32.1K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,075 MX$20.2K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,943 MX$74.1K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,158 MX$115.7K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Holetown
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$735 MX$13.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
11.45
-

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

Last update for Holetown: October 24, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Holetown
–
Playa del Carmen
$381
Groceries & Markets
Holetown
–
Playa del Carmen
$255
Eating Out
Holetown
–
Playa del Carmen
$202
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Holetown
–
Playa del Carmen
$137
Clothing & Footwear
Holetown
–
Playa del Carmen
$112
Sport & Entertainment
Holetown
–
Playa del Carmen
$67
Getting Around
Holetown
–
Playa del Carmen
$50

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Holetown versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know
🇧🇧 Holetown
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
04:08 4:08 AM
03:08 3:08 AM
1 h behind Holetown
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,500
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BBD – Barbados Dollar Converter

Barbados Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BBD (1 BBD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.23 BBD (1 BBD = 0.448 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Holetown Playa del Carmen 3,030 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Holetown
  • 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
Holetown vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Holetown and in Playa del Carmen compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $363 in Holetown, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Holetown comes out roughly 70% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Holetown compared to Playa del Carmen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $545 per month in Holetown and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city is more expensive overall: Holetown or Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $363 in Holetown and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Holetown about 70% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Holetown and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Holetown, where all-in costs run around $363, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Holetown it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Holetown and Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $363 in Holetown to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Holetown vs other spots: cost of living compared

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