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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $878 in Barranquilla, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,369 in Barranquilla, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,860 in Barranquilla, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 43% more than Barranquilla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Barranquilla are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Barranquilla 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$4.71 COP 14.8K

148.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$31.31 COP 98.6K

33.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.10 COP 22.4K

48.03%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.74 COP 5,486

106.32%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.92 COP 2,885

64.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.65 COP 2,047

41.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.30 COP 4,095

127.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$1.97 COP 6,190

123.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$0.97 COP 3,067

44.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.28 COP 4,036

46.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.06 COP 3,327

47.17%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.99 COP 6,269

31.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$4.71 COP 14.8K

76.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.03 COP 15.8K

66.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.19 COP 22.6K

51.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.89 COP 9,091

-6.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.35 COP 4,237

11.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.56 COP 4,906

19.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.77 COP 2,428

184.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.89 COP 2,802

108.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.43 COP 4,503

55.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.82 COP 2,585

30.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.61 COP 1,924

78.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.75 COP 8,668

52.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$11.43 COP 36.0K

-8.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$0.84 COP 2,658

97.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.29 COP 4,048

102.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.71 COP 2,246

-23.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$32.48 COP 102.3K

-19.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.98 COP 6,227

55.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.86 COP 9,000

-16.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$4.85 COP 15.3K

-35.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.97 COP 3,062

35.05%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$15.2K COP 47.7M

96.71%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$22.0K COP 69.4M

5.78%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$140 COP 440.8K

-41.95%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$8.24 COP 25.9K

173.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$21.81 COP 68.7K

37.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$21.14 COP 66.6K

150.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$14.66 COP 46.1K

25.44%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$4.35 COP 13.7K

13.10%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$61.6 COP 194.0K

225.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$1,791 COP 5.6M

188.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$61.7 COP 194.2K

-41.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$54.2 COP 170.6K

-25.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$80.6 COP 253.7K

-1.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$72.8 COP 229.3K

18.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$242 COP 762.6K

303.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$224 COP 705.4K

109.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$539 COP 1.7M

206.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$468 COP 1.5M

157.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,860 COP 5.9M

112.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$712 COP 2.2M

827.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$573 COP 1.8M

18.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.20%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Barranquilla: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $242 in Barranquilla. 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 18% 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 $31.00 in Barranquilla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $174 – making Barranquilla 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 Barranquilla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 43% more than Barranquilla, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,318 in Barranquilla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Barranquilla, 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 $31.00 in Barranquilla. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $878 in Barranquilla. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Barranquilla, where all-in costs run around $878, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Barranquilla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Barranquilla costs $878 versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Barranquilla. 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.