Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Badajoz

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,335 in Badajoz, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Badajoz outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Badajoz, Spain
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Badajoz
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,335
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Badajoz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,335 in Badajoz.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Badajoz $1,335

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,985 in Badajoz.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Badajoz $1,985

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,635 in Badajoz.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Badajoz $2,635

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 10% less than in Badajoz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Badajoz 2% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Badajoz
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$14.34 €12.84
-23.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$814
$51.0 €45.71
-15.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$10.95 €9.81
7.58%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.5
$1.93 €1.73
97.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.07
$2.89 €2.59
-55.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.70
$1.84 €1.64
-57.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.5
$3.00 €2.68
5.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
$4.59 €4.11
7.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Badajoz
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.40
$1.06 €0.95
33.02%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.62
$1.24 €1.11
79.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.61
$1.53 €1.37
-7.19%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.36
$2.83 €2.54
-10.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$136
$14.68 €13.15
-50.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$144
$8.09 €7.25
-4.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$238
$12.51 €11.20
1.44%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.3
$2.26 €2.02
23.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.68
$2.69 €2.41
-49.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.89
$2.15 €1.93
18.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.86
$2.51 €2.25
-15.54%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.39
$1.88 €1.69
3.19%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.41
$1.81 €1.62
4.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.53
$0.89 €0.79
29.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.13
$0.59 €0.52
100.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.6
$5.54 €4.96
-22.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$187
$6.69 €5.99
48.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.73
$1.74 €1.56
-9.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.1
$2.33 €2.09
14.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Badajoz
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.39
$1.32 €1.19
-58.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$500
$25.03 €22.42
6.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.3
$2.71 €2.43
83.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.5
$1.42 €1.27
134.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$101
$20.70 €18.54
-74.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.11
$1.73 €1.55
-16.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$388.0K
$25.5K €22.9K
-19.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$440.5K
$27.4K €24.5K
-14.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Badajoz
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,592
$131 €117
-35.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$439
$18.50 €16.57
26.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$538
$32.99 €29.54
-13.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Badajoz
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,071
$41.01 €36.73
39.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$543
$4.38 €3.93
560.05%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.5
$8.58 €7.69
-40.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Badajoz
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,878
$359 €321
-42.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.7K
$6,021 €5,393
-34.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Badajoz
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$814
$97.4 €87.3
-55.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$778
$30.55 €27.36
35.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,393
$58.3 €52.2
27.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,676
$70.6 €63.2
26.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Badajoz
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
$586 €525
67.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,150
$467 €418
-18.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.1K
$879 €787
94.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.2K
$682 €611
57.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$74.0K
$1,765 €1,581
123.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.6K
$1,371 €1,228
349.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Badajoz
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
$1,521 €1,362
-51.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
2.77
313.36%

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 Badajoz: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Badajoz
$467 22.7% $86
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Badajoz
$258 1.1% $2.8
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Badajoz
$214 5.6% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Badajoz
$182 33% $45
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Badajoz
$116 3.5% $3.9
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Badajoz
$58 13.6% $9.1
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Badajoz
$40 20.4% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $586 in Badajoz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Badajoz pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $51 in Badajoz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇪🇸 Badajoz
🕒 Local time
09:25 9:25 AM
15:25 3:25 PM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
150,190
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Badajoz 7,750 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Badajoz

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 Badajoz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Badajoz?
Playa del Carmen is about 10% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Playa del Carmen or Badajoz?
On paper, salaries run 52% lower in Playa del Carmen. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Playa del Carmen and Badajoz?
Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $586 in Badajoz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $359 in Badajoz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Playa del Carmen or in Badajoz?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $51 in Badajoz. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 enough for either Playa del Carmen or Badajoz?
Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Playa del Carmen gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Badajoz?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Badajoz on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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