Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Balbriggan Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Balbriggan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,575 in Balbriggan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,739 in Balbriggan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,902 in Balbriggan.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 50% less than in Balbriggan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Balbriggan is 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$23.27 €20.04

-49.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$103 €88.5

-59.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$12.66 €10.90

-17.77%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$4.77 €4.11

-24.32%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$2.55 €2.20

-42.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$2.12 €1.83

-54.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$8.03 €6.92

-63.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$7.05 €6.07

-34.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.73 €1.49

-17.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$2.12 €1.83

-10.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$2.08 €1.79

-24.52%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$3.10 €2.67

-14.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$11.12 €9.58

-24.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$11.52 €9.92

-25.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$13.89 €11.96

-20.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$3.18 €2.74

-15.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$2.03 €1.75

-25.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$2.90 €2.50

-34.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$5.55 €4.78

-60.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$2.22 €1.91

-15.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$1.70 €1.47

31.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.35 €1.16

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$2.02 €1.74

-47.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$20.78 €17.89

-79.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$14.17 €12.20

-27.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$2.95 €2.54

-43.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.59 €2.23

-2.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$2.46 €2.12

-77.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$99.4 €85.6

-73.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$5.19 €4.47

-38.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$2.12 €1.82

16.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$39.49 €34.01

-91.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$2.00 €1.72

-34.00%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$41.7K €35.9K

-27.65%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$40.4K €34.8K

-42.05%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$171 €147

-52.40%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$17.48 €15.05

28.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$46.51 €40.05

-35.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$54.0 €46.53

-4.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$13.79 €11.87

-62.58%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$1,339 €1,153

-84.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$9,688 €8,342

-45.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$107 €92.0

-66.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$28.59 €24.62

41.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$63.7 €54.9

23.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$130 €112

-33.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$1,468 €1,264

-35.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$1,234 €1,063

-61.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$2,408 €2,073

-32.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$1,968 €1,695

-37.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$3,451 €2,972

16.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$3,192 €2,748

102.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$2,411 €2,076

-72.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.04

182.67%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Balbriggan: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $1,468 in Balbriggan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balbriggan pays 258% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $103 in Balbriggan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $347 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 Balbriggan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Balbriggan differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($1,294 vs $2,575 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Balbriggan earns 258% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,468 in Balbriggan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Balbriggan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $103 in Balbriggan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,575 in Balbriggan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Balbriggan. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Balbriggan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.