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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,037 in Barlad, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,604 in Barlad, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,171 in Barlad, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 25% more than Barlad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Barlad are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Barlad 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$10.64 RON 48.06

10.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$786

$41.71 RON 188

11.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$7.50 RON 33.88

55.33%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$2.67 RON 12.06

53.18%

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

$1.37 MX$23.20

$2.04 RON 9.23

-32.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.07

$1.67 RON 7.57

-50.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$2.14 RON 9.69

56.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.58 RON 11.64

167.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.15

$1.40 RON 6.32

23.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.15

$1.29 RON 5.83

75.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.86

$1.41 RON 6.38

25.53%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.12

$3.10 RON 13.98

-11.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$7.41 RON 33.47

23.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$6.52 RON 29.44

36.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$10.62 RON 47.99

18.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$1.26 RON 5.69

139.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.51

$1.45 RON 6.54

8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.88

$1.38 RON 6.23

54.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.22

$2.30 RON 10.39

-1.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.82

$0.78 RON 3.54

156.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.85

$0.78 RON 3.50

164.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.91

$0.85 RON 3.85

38.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.32

$0.94 RON 4.23

27.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.2

$6.86 RON 31.00

-32.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$6.36 RON 28.71

68.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.33

$1.26 RON 5.69

28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.63

$1.51 RON 6.82

90.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$0.52 RON 2.37

9.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$503

$21.51 RON 97.2

38.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$91.9

$0.75 RON 3.40

626.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.5

$0.74 RON 3.35

400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$7.04 RON 31.82

-15.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.22

$1.84 RON 8.30

-15.76%

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

$22.3K MX$376.8K

$28.5K RON 129.0K

-21.78%

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

$25.9K MX$438.0K

$29.1K RON 131.6K

-10.91%

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

$89.1 MX$1,504

$165 RON 743

-45.82%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$9.46 RON 42.73

164.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$9.15 RON 41.34

244.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,144

$36.78 RON 166

84.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

$22.62 RON 102

27.85%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.2

$7.18 RON 32.44

-29.67%

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

$225 MX$3,797

$444 RON 2,008

-49.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$6,345 RON 28.7K

-33.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$61.9 RON 280

-23.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$42.63 RON 193

5.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$86.0 RON 388

-4.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$76.7 RON 347

20.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.0K

$354 RON 1,600

201.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,842

$328 RON 1,483

23.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$609 RON 2,753

217.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$450 RON 2,033

189.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.4K

$1,862 RON 8,414

114.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.8K

$1,415 RON 6,393

368.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.97

64.28%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Barlad: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $354 in Barlad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $42.00 in Barlad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $204 – making Barlad 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 Barlad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, $1,037 in Barlad – roughly 25% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,556 in Barlad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 39% less in Barlad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $225 per month in Playa del Carmen and $444 in Barlad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Barlad, where all-in costs run around $1,037, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. In Barlad 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 $1,037 in Barlad to $1,293 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 Barlad. 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.