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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $848 in Ba'labakk, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,304 in Ba'labakk, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,759 in Ba'labakk, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 50% 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 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$10.87 LBP 972.9K

9.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$49.00 LBP 4.4M

-12.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.81 LBP 698.7K

36.36%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.95 LBP 174.3K

76.92%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.99 LBP 88.3K

51.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.92 LBP 82.7K

3.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.58 LBP 320.8K

-15.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.86 LBP 435.0K

-5.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.74 LBP 155.6K

-20.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.29 LBP 26.3K

537.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.78 LBP 159.0K

-9.55%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.09 LBP 97.6K

137.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$11.40 LBP 1.0M

-27.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$9.39 LBP 840.7K

-10.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$11.47 LBP 1.0M

-7.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.02 LBP 91.5K

157.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.28 LBP 114.8K

16.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.10 LBP 98.7K

74.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.34 LBP 30.4K

514.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.31 LBP 27.8K

500.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.21 LBP 19.2K

976.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.52 LBP 46.6K

103.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.52 LBP 46.4K

109.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.53 LBP 226.0K

64.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$10.02 LBP 896.9K

3.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.22 LBP 109.4K

40.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.13 LBP 190.7K

22.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$5.02 LBP 448.9K

-37.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.23 LBP 109.7K

104.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$19.73 LBP 1.8M

-84.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.90 LBP 80.7K

41.11%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$35.2K LBP 3.2B

-13.77%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$27.7K LBP 2.5B

-15.08%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$212 LBP 19.0M

-60.89%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$37.40 LBP 3.3M

-39.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$37.16 LBP 3.3M

-20.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$7.91 LBP 708.2K

-37.67%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$301 LBP 26.9M

-34.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,366 LBP 390.7M

20.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$69.8 LBP 6.2M

-47.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$45.28 LBP 4.1M

-11.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$121 LBP 10.8M

-33.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$95.6 LBP 8.6M

-6.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ba'labakk: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $49.00 in Ba'labakk. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $206 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 50%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,272 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $49.00 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 $848, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.