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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $926 in Balneario Camboriu, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,541 in Balneario Camboriu, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,155 in Balneario Camboriu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 37% more than Balneario Camboriu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Balneario Camboriu are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Balneario Camboriu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$6.78 R$34.89

71.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$38.18 R$196

23.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.55 R$38.80

57.35%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$2.49 R$12.82

59.84%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.13 R$5.79

26.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.88 R$4.51

-6.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.98 R$10.17

61.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.40 R$12.32

182.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.00 R$5.15

68.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.58 R$8.12

39.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.19 R$6.12

43.70%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$2.03 R$10.45

34.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$8.37 R$43.03

14.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.57 R$23.49

97.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.09 R$36.43

80.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$1.67 R$8.59

73.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$0.97 R$4.97

54.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$0.77 R$3.94

179.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.18 R$6.07

91.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$0.80 R$4.11

147.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$0.56 R$2.87

255.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.76 R$3.91

61.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.76 R$3.93

57.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$3.01 R$15.46

51.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.67 R$39.44

35.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.05 R$5.42

54.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$1.86 R$9.56

54.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.94 R$4.83

-36.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$11.77 R$60.5

144.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$1.30 R$6.67

314.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.75 R$3.85

397.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$6.00 R$30.87

-3.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.29 R$6.61

19.38%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$23.5K R$120.6K

-3.85%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$32.4K R$166.4K

-19.49%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$93.9 R$483

-2.73%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$14.68 R$75.5

71.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$22.03 R$113

41.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$35.07 R$180

91.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$15.54 R$79.9

87.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$6.95 R$35.72

-30.07%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$274 R$1,408

-18.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$4,961 R$25.5K

-14.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$54.8 R$282

-14.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$50.1 R$257

-11.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$91.4 R$470

-12.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$77.3 R$397

19.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$469 R$2,409

126.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$309 R$1,591

26.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$1,848 R$9,503

16.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$710 R$3,650

79.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$3,565 R$18.3K

12.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$2,339 R$12.0K

177.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$483 R$2,485

56.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.63

7.71%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Balneario Camboriu: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $469 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 57% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.00 in Balneario Camboriu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $171 – 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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $926 in Balneario Camboriu – roughly 37% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,389 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $926 in Balneario Camboriu. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 145% 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 $926, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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 $926 in Balneario Camboriu to $1,266 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.