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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $398 in Birtamod, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $679 in Birtamod, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $960 in Birtamod, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 219% more than Birtamod, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Birtamod are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Birtamod 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$1.87 NPR 284

534.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$23.90 NPR 3,638

79.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.50 NPR 1,141

42.00%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.29 NPR 197

167.44%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.46 NPR 69.4

226.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.17 NPR 26.56

458.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.93 NPR 293

56.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.62 NPR 550

27.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.70 NPR 107

97.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.44 NPR 67.1

320.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.55 NPR 236

3.87%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.56 NPR 237

66.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.61 NPR 1,158

8.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.14 NPR 478

166.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$5.94 NPR 904

79.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.21 NPR 336

19.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.10 NPR 167

35.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.21 NPR 184

58.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.65 NPR 98.4

221.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.49 NPR 74.7

279.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.69 NPR 105

227.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.49 NPR 74.7

116.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.25 NPR 37.62

336.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.96 NPR 451

40.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.26 NPR 344

-23.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.38 NPR 514

-22.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.23 NPR 34.89

134.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.12 NPR 323

47.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.83 NPR 126

202.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$3.53 NPR 538

-10.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.30 NPR 197

-2.31%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$32.1K NPR 4.9M

-5.31%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$40.6K NPR 6.2M

-42.01%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$26.81 NPR 4,079

209.59%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$4.13 NPR 628

449.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$9.84 NPR 1,497

199.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$18.51 NPR 2,816

175.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$7.48 NPR 1,138

145.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$2.70 NPR 412

82.59%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$71.6 NPR 10.9K

175.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$2,720 NPR 413.8K

94.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$24.98 NPR 3,801

47.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$27.62 NPR 4,203

44.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$46.20 NPR 7,031

73.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$28.78 NPR 4,379

210.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$106 NPR 16.1K

804.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$62.5 NPR 9,504

663.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$203 NPR 30.9K

711.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$144 NPR 22.0K

747.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$123 NPR 18.8K

440.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

12.08

-5.46%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Birtamod: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $106 in Birtamod. 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 440% 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 $24.00 in Birtamod. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $132 – making Birtamod 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 Birtamod: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $398 in Birtamod – roughly 219% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $597 in Birtamod. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 90% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Birtamod, where all-in costs run around $398, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Birtamod 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 $398 in Birtamod to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Birtamod. 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.