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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $937 in Brcko.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,381 in Brcko.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,825 in Brcko.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 34% more expensive than in Brcko, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Brcko 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$7.14 BAM 12.23

67.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$35.59 BAM 61.0

17.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.48 BAM 9.38

96.17%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.75 BAM 3.00

100.00%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.01 BAM 1.73

43.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.73 BAM 1.25

20.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$0.92 BAM 1.58

220.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.11 BAM 3.62

113.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.42 BAM 2.43

0.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.15 BAM 1.96

60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$2.39 BAM 4.10

-34.31%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.89 BAM 4.95

-13.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.12 BAM 17.34

-18.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$7.52 BAM 12.87

12.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$13.19 BAM 22.59

-19.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.20 BAM 2.06

117.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.62 BAM 2.78

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.84 BAM 3.16

6.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.73 BAM 2.96

20.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.84 BAM 1.44

120.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.71 BAM 1.21

205.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.96 BAM 1.65

7.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.02 BAM 1.75

4.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.16 BAM 5.41

29.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$8.47 BAM 14.50

20.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.25 BAM 2.14

34.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.00 BAM 3.43

26.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.15 BAM 1.98

-55.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$34.77 BAM 59.6

-25.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.21 BAM 2.07

166.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.52 BAM 0.90

363.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$10.59 BAM 18.14

-69.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.50 BAM 2.57

-12.00%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$23.9K BAM 40.9K

24.21%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$26.6K BAM 45.5K

-10.93%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$120 BAM 206

-31.86%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$11.78 BAM 20.18

94.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$28.90 BAM 49.50

4.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$26.04 BAM 44.60

99.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$10.97 BAM 18.79

68.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$5.68 BAM 9.72

-12.32%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$153 BAM 262

29.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$3,271 BAM 5,602

63.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$23.87 BAM 40.89

49.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$17.78 BAM 30.46

126.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$88.3 BAM 151

-10.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$87.8 BAM 150

1.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$359 BAM 615

163.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$267 BAM 457

77.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$529 BAM 906

210.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$355 BAM 607

241.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,533 BAM 2,625

164.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,195 BAM 2,047

441.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$503 BAM 861

30.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.14

175.85%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Brcko: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $359 in Brcko. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 30% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $36.00 in Brcko for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $233 per month, with Brcko 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 Brcko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brcko is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $359 in Brcko. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $153 in Brcko. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $937 in Brcko versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Brcko but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Brcko the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Brcko is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Brcko gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.