Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Barra

For one person, living is cheaper in Barra: $104 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Barra

🇬🇲 Gambia

$104

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Barra

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 Barra actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $104 in Barra, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Barra $104

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $177 in Barra, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Barra $177

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $250 in Barra, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Barra $250

Playa del Carmen costs about 1055% more than Barra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Barra are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Barra 92% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

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

$1.28 MX$23.89

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.58

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.20

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.30

$0.96 GMD 71.5

131.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.40

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.00

$2.47 GMD 183

2.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$7.20 GMD 533

6.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.49

$1.99 GMD 147

-31.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.52

$2.72 GMD 202

-6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.55

$2.01 GMD 149

5.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.11

$1.11 GMD 81.9

74.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.13

$0.80 GMD 59.0

136.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.36

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.96

$0.45 GMD 33.15

162.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.0

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.50

$1.11 GMD 82.1

42.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.76

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.90

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

$20.7K MX$385.0K

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

$23.5K MX$437.2K

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

$84.8 MX$1,580

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

$23.41 MX$436

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.7

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

$207 MX$3,848

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,382

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,663

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,095

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Barra: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Barra

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Barra

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Barra

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Barra

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Barra

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Barra

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Barra

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇬🇲 Barra

🕒 Local time

20:03 8:03 PM

01:03 1:03 AM

5 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

6,020

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Gambian Dalasi GMD D

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 GMD = 1.35 USD

100 GMD = 1.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GMD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Gambian Dalasi exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 74.1 GMD (100 GMD = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 82.49 GMD (100 GMD = 1.21 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Barra 7,490 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Barra

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 Barra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 1055%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $156 in Barra. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $104 in Barra. That makes Barra about 91% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 144% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Barra, where all-in costs run around $104, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Barra 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 $104 in Barra to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.