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 $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,235 in Ballsh, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,892 in Ballsh, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,549 in Ballsh, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 6% more than Ballsh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ballsh are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ballsh 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$10.13 ALL 800

18.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$53.3 ALL 4,212

-11.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$7.19 ALL 568

63.42%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.1

$2.32 ALL 183

77.59%

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

$1.40 MX$23.78

$1.42 ALL 112

-1.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$0.86 ALL 67.5

5.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

$3.70 ALL 292

-13.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.18 ALL 330

69.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.49

$2.31 ALL 182

-27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$1.24 ALL 97.8

73.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$2.39 ALL 189

-25.94%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.83

$3.86 ALL 305

-26.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$13.60 ALL 1,074

-32.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$9.14 ALL 722

0.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$17.57 ALL 1,388

-28.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.02 ALL 160

46.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.83

$2.53 ALL 200

-37.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$2.27 ALL 180

-2.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.15

$1.86 ALL 147

26.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.86

$1.04 ALL 82.4

91.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.63

$1.30 ALL 103

52.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$1.50 ALL 118

-17.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$0.82 ALL 64.7

47.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$5.04 ALL 398

-8.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

$11.50 ALL 908

-8.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

$1.76 ALL 139

-3.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

$2.04 ALL 161

35.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.24

$0.49 ALL 38.52

22.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

$20.29 ALL 1,603

46.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$3.72 ALL 294

40.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

$3.75 ALL 296

-2.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$18.96 ALL 1,498

-69.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$2.39 ALL 189

-35.56%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$34.5K ALL 2.7M

-33.98%

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

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$37.4K ALL 3.0M

-30.91%

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

$90.7 MX$1,540

$102 ALL 8,060

-11.15%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$18.98 ALL 1,499

32.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$20.84 ALL 1,646

52.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

$58.8 ALL 4,640

17.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$10.04 ALL 793

-51.59%

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

$226 MX$3,834

$346 ALL 27.3K

-34.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$8,431 ALL 665.9K

-50.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$51.3 ALL 4,050

-7.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

$48.84 ALL 3,857

-11.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$122 ALL 9,673

-34.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$114 ALL 9,016

-19.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$485 ALL 38.3K

123.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,943

$337 ALL 26.6K

21.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$717 ALL 56.6K

175.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

$476 ALL 37.6K

169.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

$1,886 ALL 149.0K

114.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

$1,282 ALL 101.2K

422.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.64

103.01%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ballsh: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $485 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $53.0 in Ballsh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $301 – 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 6%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,852 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 8% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $53.0 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 $1,235, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. 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.