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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $787 in Barreiras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,228 in Barreiras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,669 in Barreiras.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 60% more expensive than in Barreiras, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Barreiras 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$5.31 R$26.93

120.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$27.15 R$138

54.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.26 R$31.76

67.89%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.73 R$8.77

107.51%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.08 R$5.48

39.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.65 R$3.31

41.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.79 R$9.08

65.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.78 R$14.09

58.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.02 R$5.16

37.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.50 R$7.63

25.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.14 R$5.80

36.84%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.00 R$10.16

30.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$8.03 R$40.76

3.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.55 R$18.04

135.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.33 R$37.22

48.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.12 R$10.74

27.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.30 R$6.58

16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.14 R$5.76

64.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.44 R$7.32

52.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.20 R$6.07

55.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.09 R$5.55

104.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.73 R$3.72

46.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.62 R$3.12

75.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.12 R$10.74

97.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$6.70 R$34.01

55.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.27 R$6.44

30.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.98 R$10.04

31.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.88 R$4.47

-38.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$38.43 R$195

-31.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.05 R$5.33

193.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.76 R$3.86

215.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$6.37 R$32.31

-50.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.08 R$5.45

21.30%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$20.5K R$104.1K

45.26%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$28.0K R$141.8K

-16.56%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$60.0 R$304

35.58%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$13.53 R$68.6

66.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$18.91 R$96.0

58.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$22.64 R$115

133.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$21.78 R$111

-15.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.44 R$32.66

-23.60%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$272 R$1,383

-26.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$6,472 R$32.8K

-20.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$49.00 R$249

-26.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$42.91 R$218

-6.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$75.0 R$380

6.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$64.8 R$329

33.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$314 R$1,591

211.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$219 R$1,113

114.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$593 R$3,007

178.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$422 R$2,142

185.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,529 R$7,757

158.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,088 R$5,520

507.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.92

4.58%

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 Barreiras: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $314 in Barreiras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Barreiras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $172 per month, with Barreiras cheaper across the board.

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 Barreiras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barreiras is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,181 in Barreiras to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $314 in Barreiras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $272 in Barreiras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $787 in Barreiras versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Barreiras but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Barreiras the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Barreiras is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Barreiras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.