Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Balneario Camboriu Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Balneario Camboriu

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $818 in Balneario Camboriu, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,312 in Balneario Camboriu, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,806 in Balneario Camboriu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 58% more than Balneario Camboriu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Balneario Camboriu are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Balneario Camboriu 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$5.37 R$26.89

118.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$32.13 R$161

29.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.28 R$31.41

69.43%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.04 R$10.21

72.55%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.09 R$5.47

38.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.68 R$3.41

42.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.63 R$8.18

80.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.11 R$10.55

110.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$0.89 R$4.46

55.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.48 R$7.39

27.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.10 R$5.50

49.09%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.87 R$9.36

34.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.89 R$39.48

5.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.77 R$18.85

121.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$6.47 R$32.40

65.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.78 R$8.89

46.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$0.91 R$4.57

60.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$0.70 R$3.49

171.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.24 R$6.21

67.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.87 R$4.36

104.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.55 R$2.76

298.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.55 R$2.77

89.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.70 R$3.51

54.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.11 R$10.57

93.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$7.72 R$38.62

33.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$0.94 R$4.71

81.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.64 R$8.23

57.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.83 R$4.18

-38.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$10.98 R$55.0

140.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.14 R$5.71

185.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.65 R$3.25

283.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$6.21 R$31.09

-47.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.06 R$5.33

23.58%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$18.2K R$91.1K

66.31%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$26.8K R$134.2K

-12.64%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$71.8 R$359

15.39%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$11.51 R$57.6

93.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$19.95 R$99.8

47.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$32.91 R$165

56.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$14.29 R$71.5

28.20%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$6.11 R$30.60

-17.02%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$247 R$1,238

-18.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$4,647 R$23.3K

12.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$55.5 R$278

-33.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$46.10 R$231

-13.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$82.5 R$413

-4.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$67.1 R$336

29.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$436 R$2,181

123.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$285 R$1,424

64.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$988 R$4,945

66.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$595 R$2,979

105.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$3,660 R$18.3K

7.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$2,372 R$11.9K

174.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$484 R$2,421

37.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.84

16.06%

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 Balneario Camboriu: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $436 in Balneario Camboriu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 37% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $32.00 in Balneario Camboriu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $159 – making Balneario Camboriu 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 Balneario Camboriu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, $818 in Balneario Camboriu – roughly 58% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,228 in Balneario Camboriu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $818 in Balneario Camboriu. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 141% less in Balneario Camboriu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Balneario Camboriu, where all-in costs run around $818, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Balneario Camboriu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $818 in Balneario Camboriu to $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Balneario Camboriu. 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.