Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Barrigada

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,681 in Barrigada, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barrigada outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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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

Barrigada

🇬🇺 Guam

$2,681

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,681 in Barrigada.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Barrigada $2,681

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,466 in Barrigada.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Barrigada $3,466

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,252 in Barrigada.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Barrigada $4,252

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 55% less than in Barrigada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Barrigada is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$102 $102

-57.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$6.84 $6.84

-37.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.45 $1.45

-0.69%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$409 $409

-79.24%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$98.5 $98.5

-76.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$81.2 $81.2

-64.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$80.1 $80.1

-28.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$12.89 $12.89

-60.12%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$707 $707

-70.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$2,385 $2,385

-58.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$1,986 $1,986

-80.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$3,156 $3,156

-45.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$2,845 $2,845

-62.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$4,731 $4,731

-84.47%

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 Barrigada: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Barrigada

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Barrigada

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Barrigada

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Barrigada

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Barrigada

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Barrigada

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Barrigada

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $2,385 in Barrigada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barrigada pays about 6.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $102 in Barrigada for two.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇬🇺 Barrigada

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

13:22 1:22 PM

15 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

8,875

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Barrigada 13,190 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Barrigada

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 Barrigada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is about 55% cheaper overall, especially in utilities and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 84% lower in Playa del Carmen. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,385 in Barrigada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $102 in Barrigada. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $707 in Barrigada. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,681 in Barrigada, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Barrigada. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Barrigada on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.