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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $986 in Balti, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,259 in Balti, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,532 in Balti, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 27% more than Balti, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Balti are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Balti 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$8.29 MDL 144

44.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$36.13 MDL 629

15.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$7.67 MDL 133

40.16%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.61 MDL 28.01

117.39%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.99 MDL 17.30

46.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.69 MDL 12.01

27.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.73 MDL 30.13

70.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.19 MDL 38.05

105.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.23 MDL 21.34

16.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.39 MDL 6.85

371.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.51 MDL 26.22

3.97%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.60 MDL 27.82

56.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$9.22 MDL 161

-10.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.49 MDL 78.2

87.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$8.60 MDL 150

24.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$0.89 MDL 15.44

193.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.80 MDL 31.39

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.54 MDL 26.86

27.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.07 MDL 36.08

0.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.69 MDL 11.97

168.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.56 MDL 9.68

287.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.34 MDL 23.37

-23.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.85 MDL 14.78

25.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.29 MDL 57.4

24.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$4.43 MDL 77.2

129.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.22 MDL 21.32

37.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.97 MDL 34.30

28.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.36 MDL 6.35

41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$2.03 MDL 35.38

59.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.25 MDL 4.31

864.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$5.12 MDL 89.1

-36.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.38 MDL 23.97

-4.35%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$32.2K MDL 559.9K

-7.64%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$31.1K MDL 541.6K

-23.92%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$175 MDL 3,054

-53.24%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$4.75 MDL 82.7

383.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$10.62 MDL 185

183.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$40.57 MDL 706

28.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$4.65 MDL 80.9

7.10%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$116 MDL 2,013

70.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$5,455 MDL 95.0K

-2.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$64.8 MDL 1,129

-45.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$53.6 MDL 933

-24.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$114 MDL 1,991

-31.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$124 MDL 2,159

-28.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$402 MDL 6,994

135.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$293 MDL 5,102

61.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,406 MDL 24.5K

188.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$997 MDL 17.4K

548.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$633 MDL 11.0K

3.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.24

23.59%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Balti: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $402 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 3% 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 $36.00 in Balti. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $174 – 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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, $986 in Balti – roughly 27% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,479 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $36.00 in Balti. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% 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 $986, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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 $986 in Balti to $1,256 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.