Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Balti Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Balti

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $995 in Balti, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,473 in Balti, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,951 in Balti, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 31% more than Balti, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Balti are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Balti 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$8.92 MDL 153

34.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$23.46 MDL 403

101.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$11.10 MDL 190

5.86%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$1.83 MDL 31.37

125.14%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.13 MDL 19.42

23.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.68 MDL 11.67

33.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.14 MDL 19.49

181.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$1.47 MDL 25.28

380.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.25 MDL 21.52

34.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.51 MDL 8.80

321.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.64 MDL 28.15

7.93%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.32 MDL 39.81

21.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$7.03 MDL 121

30.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$4.91 MDL 84.3

87.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$6.55 MDL 112

92.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.01 MDL 17.33

192.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$2.29 MDL 39.34

-31.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.96 MDL 33.71

13.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$2.48 MDL 42.49

-4.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.79 MDL 13.49

151.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.54 MDL 9.22

266.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.48 MDL 8.22

158.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.56 MDL 9.62

116.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$3.33 MDL 57.1

38.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$4.70 MDL 80.6

123.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.46 MDL 25.12

15.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.05 MDL 35.13

35.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.33 MDL 5.74

81.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$17.12 MDL 294

73.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$2.88 MDL 49.46

81.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.25 MDL 4.24

1360.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$5.78 MDL 99.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.54 MDL 26.37

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$34.4K MDL 589.9K

-33.67%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$24.8K MDL 425.4K

4.13%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$234 MDL 4,023

-61.33%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$7.97 MDL 137

216.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$11.82 MDL 203

168.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$37.25 MDL 639

84.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$16.09 MDL 276

82.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$7.70 MDL 132

-36.88%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$115 MDL 1,981

95.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$5,508 MDL 94.5K

-23.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$45.71 MDL 784

3.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$35.11 MDL 603

23.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$57.3 MDL 984

39.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$51.6 MDL 886

76.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$411 MDL 7,053

164.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$291 MDL 4,992

40.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$700 MDL 12.0K

181.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$531 MDL 9,114

141.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$1,462 MDL 25.1K

176.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,026 MDL 17.6K

553.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$627 MDL 10.8K

23.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

43.12%

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 Balti: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $411 in Balti. 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 23% 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 $23.00 in Balti. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $171 – making Balti 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 Balti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, $995 in Balti – roughly 31% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,493 in Balti. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $115 in Balti. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 63% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Balti, where all-in costs run around $995, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Balti 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 $995 in Balti to $1,305 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Balti. 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.