Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Balneario Camboriu

For one person, living is cheaper in Balneario Camboriu: $845 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Balneario Camboriu
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Balneario Camboriu Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Balneario Camboriu

🇧🇷 Brazil

$845

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Balneario Camboriu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Balneario Camboriu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $845 in Balneario Camboriu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Balneario Camboriu $845

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,409 in Balneario Camboriu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Balneario Camboriu $1,409

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,974 in Balneario Camboriu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Balneario Camboriu $1,974

Playa del Carmen costs about 42% more than Balneario Camboriu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Balneario Camboriu are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Balneario Camboriu 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$6.58 R$35.96

62.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$36.45 R$199

20.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$7.35 R$40.14

60.41%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$2.15 R$11.72

76.28%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$1.07 R$5.83

21.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$0.82 R$4.46

1.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$1.80 R$9.81

75.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$2.18 R$11.91

126.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$0.93 R$5.05

51.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$1.32 R$7.23

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$1.12 R$6.10

31.25%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$2.32 R$12.66

7.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$8.04 R$43.92

-9.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$3.70 R$20.23

114.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$4.95 R$27.03

159.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$1.50 R$8.20

93.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$0.87 R$4.75

58.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$0.89 R$4.85

179.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$1.24 R$6.79

63.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$0.81 R$4.45

149.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$0.54 R$2.94

251.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$0.48 R$2.63

137.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$0.71 R$3.85

74.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$2.75 R$15.01

55.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$6.36 R$34.73

54.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$1.00 R$5.46

59.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$1.17 R$6.40

135.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$1.18 R$6.43

303.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$0.76 R$4.14

327.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$5.84 R$31.88

-7.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$1.23 R$6.74

24.39%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$21.8K R$119.2K

-2.82%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$31.2K R$170.4K

-25.45%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$97.3 R$531

-14.17%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$10.45 R$57.1

121.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$19.24 R$105

43.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$22.03 R$120

156.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

$17.67 R$96.5

59.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$7.34 R$40.07

-31.88%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$260 R$1,418

-20.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$4,787 R$26.1K

9.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$53.4 R$291

-18.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$42.54 R$232

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$87.4 R$477

-16.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$70.3 R$384

25.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$414 R$2,263

140.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$291 R$1,587

31.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$1,748 R$9,544

-4.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$715 R$3,902

51.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$3,381 R$18.5K

15.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

$2,248 R$12.3K

173.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$456 R$2,490

82.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.68

7.21%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Balneario Camboriu: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Balneario Camboriu

$291 34.4% 24% $92

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Balneario Camboriu

$150 17.8% 41.6% $107

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Balneario Camboriu

$121 14.4% 39.4% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Balneario Camboriu

$127 15% 5.4% $7.3

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Balneario Camboriu

$114 13.5% 2.6% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Balneario Camboriu

$37 4.3% 44.8% $30

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Balneario Camboriu

$5 * 0.6% 90.1% $45

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $414 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 83% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $36 in Balneario Camboriu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $150 – making Balneario Camboriu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇷 Balneario Camboriu

🕒 Local time

19:08 7:08 PM

21:08 9:08 PM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

139,155

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.11 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Balneario Camboriu 6,720 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Balneario Camboriu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, $845 in Balneario Camboriu – Balneario Camboriu comes out roughly 30% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,267 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $414 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $845 in Balneario Camboriu. That makes Balneario Camboriu about 30% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $260 in Balneario Camboriu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Balneario Camboriu, where all-in costs run around $845, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. 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 $845 in Balneario Camboriu to $1,202 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.