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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $753 in Barretos, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,222 in Barretos, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,690 in Barretos, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 71% more than Barretos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Barretos are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Barretos 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$6.33 R$31.60

88.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$21.53 R$107

98.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.55 R$27.71

90.81%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.48 R$7.37

144.59%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.23 R$6.12

19.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.53 R$2.64

77.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.81 R$9.04

70.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.73 R$13.60

63.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.03 R$5.12

38.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.74 R$8.70

8.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.17 R$5.86

39.32%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.29 R$11.42

15.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$10.14 R$50.6

-19.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.04 R$20.14

105.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$8.44 R$42.12

31.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.08 R$10.38

27.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.69 R$8.42

-11.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.38 R$6.90

44.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.72 R$8.61

20.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.42 R$7.07

26.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.38 R$6.89

57.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.99 R$4.94

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.63 R$3.14

65.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$1.83 R$9.13

116.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$8.32 R$41.52

22.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.36 R$6.77

27.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.06 R$10.29

21.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.93 R$4.65

-44.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$38.83 R$194

-30.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.15 R$5.74

173.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.58 R$2.90

313.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$7.98 R$39.81

-61.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.83 R$4.16

53.01%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$22.5K R$112.2K

37.38%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$27.9K R$139.4K

-16.55%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$27.00 R$135

203.74%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$5.26 R$26.24

326.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$14.61 R$72.9

103.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$22.50 R$112

130.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$21.94 R$110

-14.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$7.36 R$36.74

-32.47%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$321 R$1,603

-38.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$8,911 R$44.5K

-40.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$54.0 R$269

-32.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$21.74 R$109

84.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$75.2 R$375

6.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$64.1 R$320

38.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$314 R$1,565

207.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$219 R$1,094

111.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$588 R$2,933

171.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$423 R$2,110

185.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,701 R$8,490

131.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,196 R$5,969

439.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$567 R$2,830

27.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.17

2.24%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Barretos: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $314 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 27% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $22.00 in Barretos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $198 – 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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, $753 in Barretos – roughly 71% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,130 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $22.00 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $753 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 $753, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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 $753 in Barretos to $1,287 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.