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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $834 in Barretos, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,320 in Barretos, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,806 in Barretos, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 52% more than Barretos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Barretos are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Barretos 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$6.78 R$34.86

71.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$23.58 R$121

99.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.17 R$31.71

92.54%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$1.54 R$7.91

158.44%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.31 R$6.76

9.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.57 R$2.93

43.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$2.36 R$12.14

35.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.86 R$14.72

137.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.04 R$5.35

61.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$2.08 R$10.68

5.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.35 R$6.93

26.67%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$2.67 R$13.72

2.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$11.60 R$59.7

-17.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.75 R$24.44

89.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.26 R$52.8

24.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$2.30 R$11.81

25.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.78 R$9.14

-15.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.53 R$7.85

40.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.51 R$7.75

49.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.29 R$6.64

53.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.16 R$5.96

71.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.89 R$4.60

38.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.81 R$4.14

48.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.41 R$12.37

88.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$8.30 R$42.67

24.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.53 R$7.88

5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$2.45 R$12.60

17.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.96 R$4.93

-37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$42.32 R$218

-31.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$1.15 R$5.90

368.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.75 R$3.86

397.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$8.49 R$43.64

-32.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$0.90 R$4.64

71.11%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$22.7K R$116.8K

-0.72%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$31.5K R$162.0K

-17.28%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$29.00 R$149

215.10%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$5.99 R$30.79

320.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$15.62 R$80.3

100.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$23.96 R$123

180.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$27.01 R$139

7.77%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$7.99 R$41.06

-39.17%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$427 R$2,196

-47.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$9,840 R$50.6K

-57.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$65.0 R$334

-27.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$23.51 R$121

88.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$91.9 R$473

-12.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$66.7 R$343

38.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$335 R$1,722

217.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$231 R$1,188

68.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$741 R$3,811

189.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$414 R$2,127

207.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$1,507 R$7,749

165.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,058 R$5,442

514.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$556 R$2,861

36.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.81

5.92%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Barretos: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $335 in Barretos. 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 36% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $24.00 in Barretos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $221 – making Barretos 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 Barretos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $834 in Barretos – roughly 52% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,252 in Barretos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Barretos, 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $24.00 in Barretos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $834 in Barretos. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Barretos, where all-in costs run around $834, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Barretos 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 $834 in Barretos to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Barretos. 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.