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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,024 in Ballito.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,511 in Ballito.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,998 in Ballito.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 26% more expensive than Ballito, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Ballito 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$7.67 R 129

55.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$28.41 R 476

50.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$4.97 R 83.4

113.08%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.92 R 32.22

88.54%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.88 R 14.82

67.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.71 R 11.95

32.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.90 R 31.93

62.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.26 R 37.89

97.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.99 R 16.60

44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.80 R 13.45

135.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.41 R 23.63

15.60%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.00 R 33.51

32.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$6.01 R 101

36.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.34 R 72.8

91.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$6.23 R 104

78.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.37 R 23.05

93.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.43 R 24.00

4.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.37 R 22.99

45.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.00 R 16.83

108.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.77 R 12.99

132.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.22 R 20.50

78.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.02 R 17.03

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.97 R 16.32

7.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.07 R 51.5

29.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$4.06 R 68.0

151.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.32 R 22.07

31.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.75 R 29.32

42.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$1.63 R 27.29

-68.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$25.10 R 421

7.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.71 R 28.75

83.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.56 R 9.33

328.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.71 R 112

-53.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.23 R 20.63

3.25%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$19.8K R 332.1K

55.94%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$22.8K R 382.1K

2.34%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$105 R 1,755

-21.63%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$20.77 R 348

8.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$27.62 R 463

7.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$30.70 R 515

68.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$11.28 R 189

65.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.70 R 95.6

-12.81%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$139 R 2,327

42.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$2,506 R 42.0K

110.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$41.27 R 692

-11.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$30.56 R 513

31.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$56.4 R 945

41.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$72.2 R 1,211

23.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$363 R 6,083

165.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$444 R 7,443

4.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$696 R 11.7K

129.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$698 R 11.7K

73.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,386 R 23.2K

184.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,098 R 18.4K

487.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$1,618 R 27.1K

-55.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

12.01

-4.91%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Ballito: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $363 in Ballito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballito pays 125% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $28.00 in Ballito for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $155 per month, with Ballito 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 Ballito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballito is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ballito earns 125% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $363 in Ballito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ballito – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,024 in Ballito – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,024 in Ballito versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ballito but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ballito the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ballito is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Ballito are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ballito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.