Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Biala Podlaska Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Biala Podlaska

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,299 in Biala Podlaska.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,900 in Biala Podlaska.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,501 in Biala Podlaska.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 1% less than in Biala Podlaska, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Biala Podlaska 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$8.02 zł 29.10

48.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$21.69 zł 78.8

97.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$8.33 zł 30.25

27.13%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$3.43 zł 12.46

5.54%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.86 zł 6.74

-20.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$1.64 zł 5.94

-42.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$3.21 zł 11.65

-3.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$4.00 zł 14.51

11.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.08 zł 3.90

32.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.24 zł 4.51

51.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.21 zł 4.41

34.71%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.99 zł 10.85

-11.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$8.47 zł 30.74

-3.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$6.96 zł 25.26

19.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$10.82 zł 39.26

2.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$1.15 zł 4.17

130.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.72 zł 6.25

-12.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.91 zł 6.94

4.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$2.92 zł 10.59

-28.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$0.89 zł 3.22

101.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.25 zł 4.53

74.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.19 zł 4.32

-9.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.56 zł 2.02

85.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$5.28 zł 19.18

-24.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$6.94 zł 25.21

46.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.26 zł 4.56

37.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$1.92 zł 6.98

30.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$1.07 zł 3.87

-51.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$32.67 zł 119

-17.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$2.21 zł 8.03

42.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$1.01 zł 3.68

137.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$9.30 zł 33.76

-66.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.70 zł 6.17

-25.29%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$34.1K zł 123.8K

-9.47%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$29.3K zł 106.5K

-20.52%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$202 zł 734

-59.44%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$8.71 zł 31.60

157.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$13.32 zł 48.35

122.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$35.87 zł 130

44.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$19.26 zł 69.9

-3.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$5.57 zł 20.22

-10.77%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$341 zł 1,239

-42.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$9,347 zł 33.9K

-43.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$90.6 zł 329

-59.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$30.44 zł 111

31.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$77.2 zł 280

3.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$93.4 zł 339

-4.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$645 zł 2,340

49.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$496 zł 1,800

-6.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$994 zł 3,608

60.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$821 zł 2,982

47.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$3,084 zł 11.2K

27.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$2,313 zł 8,396

178.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$1,109 zł 4,027

-35.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.78

68.44%

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 Biala Podlaska: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $645 in Biala Podlaska. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Biala Podlaska pays 54% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Biala Podlaska for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $212 per month, with Biala Podlaska 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 Biala Podlaska: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Biala Podlaska differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $1,299 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Biala Podlaska earns 54% less. 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $645 in Biala Podlaska. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $341 in Biala Podlaska. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Biala Podlaska pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,299 in Biala Podlaska, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Biala Podlaska. 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Biala Podlaska. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.