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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,211 in Ballsh, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,879 in Ballsh, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,548 in Ballsh, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 4% more than Ballsh, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ballsh are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Ballsh 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$11.71 ALL 955

2.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$58.6 ALL 4,783

-28.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.84 ALL 558

57.16%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.02 ALL 165

73.27%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.43 ALL 117

1.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.90 ALL 73.8

-2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.93 ALL 239

0.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$4.03 ALL 329

11.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.15 ALL 175

-33.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.10 ALL 89.7

67.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$2.13 ALL 174

-26.29%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$3.92 ALL 320

-35.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$13.24 ALL 1,080

-37.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$7.62 ALL 621

10.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$15.43 ALL 1,258

-30.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.77 ALL 144

47.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.67 ALL 218

-46.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.98 ALL 162

-1.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.92 ALL 157

8.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.31 ALL 107

41.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.28 ALL 105

69.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.49 ALL 122

-30.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.75 ALL 61.2

42.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$4.32 ALL 352

-5.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$10.42 ALL 850

-2.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.64 ALL 134

2.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.07 ALL 168

22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.49 ALL 39.78

4.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$18.62 ALL 1,519

39.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.58 ALL 292

-9.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$3.08 ALL 252

-21.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$17.31 ALL 1,412

-81.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$2.09 ALL 170

-36.84%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$39.4K ALL 3.2M

-24.68%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$35.0K ALL 2.9M

-32.44%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$108 ALL 8,833

-24.28%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$17.62 ALL 1,437

30.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$18.27 ALL 1,490

64.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$55.8 ALL 4,550

-6.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$25.12 ALL 2,049

-26.23%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$9.63 ALL 786

-48.29%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$161 ALL 13.1K

22.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$5,544 ALL 452.2K

-3.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$68.9 ALL 5,618

-48.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$50.0 ALL 4,081

-19.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$108 ALL 8,808

-27.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$131 ALL 10.7K

-32.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$455 ALL 37.1K

108.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$346 ALL 28.2K

36.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$603 ALL 49.2K

172.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$434 ALL 35.4K

178.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,795 ALL 146.4K

125.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,327 ALL 108.2K

387.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ballsh: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $455 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 $278 – 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 4%, 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,816 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 12% 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 $1,211, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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.