Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ba

For one person, living is cheaper in Ba: $93.6 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

🇫🇯 Fiji

$93.6

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $94 in Ba.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Ba $94

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $209 in Ba.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Ba $209

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $325 in Ba.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Ba $325

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 1187% more expensive than in Ba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Ba 93% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$2.04 FJD 4.56

435.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$30.40 FJD 67.9

42.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$6.01 FJD 13.42

96.01%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$1.99 FJD 4.43

91.46%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$0.98 FJD 2.18

30.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.99 FJD 2.20

-21.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$4.12 FJD 9.19

-23.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$3.47 FJD 7.74

42.07%

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

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

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

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)

$23.41 MX$440

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

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

$207 MX$3,882

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

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

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

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$399 FJD 891

84.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

186.25%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ba: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

–

Cost Breakdown

Playa del Carmen pays 84% 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 at a mid-range restaurant: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $30 in Ba for two.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇫🇯 Ba

🕒 Local time

06:09 6:09 AM

23:09 11:09 PM

17 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

15,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Fijian Dollar FJD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 FJD = 0.448 USD

1 FJD = 0.401 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FJD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.23 FJD (1 FJD = 0.448 USD). 1 EUR = 2.49 FJD (1 FJD = 0.401 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Ba 11,210 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Ba

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

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

Ba wins on cost – living expenses run 92% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 84% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Ba – a meal for two runs $30 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $94 in Ba – Ba is about 92% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $94 in Ba versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $800 budget is realistic in Ba but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Ba wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.