Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ba'labakk Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ba'labakk

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $851 in Ba'labakk, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,313 in Ba'labakk, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,775 in Ba'labakk, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 48% more than Ba'labakk, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ba'labakk are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ba'labakk 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$10.73 LBP 960.2K

9.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$50.4 LBP 4.5M

-16.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.91 LBP 707.7K

32.87%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.05 LBP 183.9K

75.12%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.98 LBP 88.0K

54.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.92 LBP 82.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$3.59 LBP 321.5K

-17.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$5.05 LBP 451.9K

-12.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.71 LBP 152.9K

-18.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.29 LBP 26.2K

548.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.81 LBP 161.8K

-13.81%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.05 LBP 94.0K

148.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$11.40 LBP 1.0M

-27.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$9.68 LBP 866.4K

-13.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$11.48 LBP 1.0M

-5.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$0.99 LBP 88.3K

173.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.22 LBP 109.4K

23.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.15 LBP 102.8K

62.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.37 LBP 32.7K

491.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.31 LBP 28.0K

500.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.19 LBP 16.7K

1073.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.48 LBP 43.1K

122.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.55 LBP 49.5K

98.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.57 LBP 230.4K

63.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$10.07 LBP 901.4K

3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.25 LBP 111.5K

32.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.12 LBP 189.6K

23.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$4.97 LBP 444.9K

-38.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.22 LBP 109.5K

96.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$20.22 LBP 1.8M

-84.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.90 LBP 80.9K

45.56%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$35.5K LBP 3.2B

-16.02%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$28.1K LBP 2.5B

-17.05%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$219 LBP 19.6M

-62.86%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$38.23 LBP 3.4M

-40.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$37.13 LBP 3.3M

-19.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$8.04 LBP 719.7K

-38.81%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$299 LBP 26.8M

-32.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$4,441 LBP 397.5M

16.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$70.3 LBP 6.3M

-48.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$45.33 LBP 4.1M

-11.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$125 LBP 11.2M

-36.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$94.8 LBP 8.5M

-8.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.16

2.33%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ba'labakk: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $50.0 in Ba'labakk. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $208 in Ba'labakk – so Ba'labakk wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Playa del Carmen vs Ba'labakk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 48%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,276 in Ba'labakk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $50.0 in Ba'labakk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ba'labakk, where all-in costs run around $851, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Ba'labakk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ba'labakk – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Ba'labakk. 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.