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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,202 in Ballsh, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,838 in Ballsh, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,474 in Ballsh, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 8% more than Ballsh, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ballsh are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Ballsh 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$11.72 ALL 959

0.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$59.1 ALL 4,832

-29.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.81 ALL 557

56.24%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.03 ALL 166

73.40%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.45 ALL 119

4.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.90 ALL 73.9

7.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.97 ALL 243

-0.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$4.19 ALL 343

6.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$2.12 ALL 174

-34.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.14 ALL 93.0

65.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$2.16 ALL 177

-24.07%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$3.89 ALL 318

-35.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$13.34 ALL 1,091

-37.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.70 ALL 630

8.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$15.67 ALL 1,282

-31.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.77 ALL 145

46.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$2.78 ALL 228

-47.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.04 ALL 167

-6.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.98 ALL 162

5.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.33 ALL 109

33.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.32 ALL 108

65.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.45 ALL 119

-28.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.80 ALL 65.6

35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.37 ALL 357

-6.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$10.96 ALL 897

-5.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.62 ALL 133

5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.07 ALL 170

24.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.48 ALL 39.46

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$19.01 ALL 1,555

39.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$3.55 ALL 291

-8.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$3.23 ALL 264

-22.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$17.99 ALL 1,472

-81.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$2.15 ALL 176

-39.07%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$40.8K ALL 3.3M

-25.75%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$35.3K ALL 2.9M

-33.68%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$107 ALL 8,763

-22.64%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$17.78 ALL 1,455

24.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$18.41 ALL 1,506

59.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$55.6 ALL 4,545

-7.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$25.45 ALL 2,082

-28.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$9.21 ALL 754

-44.95%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$159 ALL 13.0K

26.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$5,513 ALL 451.1K

-5.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$67.1 ALL 5,486

-44.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$50.2 ALL 4,104

-20.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$109 ALL 8,922

-28.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$129 ALL 10.6K

-32.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$444 ALL 36.4K

118.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$347 ALL 28.4K

34.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$615 ALL 50.3K

166.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$433 ALL 35.4K

181.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,749 ALL 143.1K

125.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,196 ALL 97.8K

443.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.52

106.88%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ballsh: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $444 in Ballsh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $59.0 in Ballsh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $282 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Ballsh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 8%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,803 in Ballsh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ballsh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $59.0 in Ballsh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ballsh, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Ballsh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ballsh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ballsh. 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.