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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $956 in Brcko.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,414 in Brcko.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,872 in Brcko.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 36% more expensive than Brcko, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Brcko 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$6.97 BAM 11.70

68.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$35.44 BAM 59.6

17.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.57 BAM 9.36

91.02%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.76 BAM 2.96

100.00%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.01 BAM 1.70

49.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.68 BAM 1.15

42.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$0.85 BAM 1.43

247.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.07 BAM 3.48

114.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.37 BAM 2.30

0.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.17 BAM 1.96

61.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$2.33 BAM 3.91

-29.61%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.90 BAM 4.88

-13.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$10.00 BAM 16.80

-16.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.31 BAM 12.29

14.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$13.36 BAM 22.45

-19.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.20 BAM 2.01

116.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.70 BAM 2.85

-14.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.85 BAM 3.11

2.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.67 BAM 2.80

24.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.81 BAM 1.36

119.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.74 BAM 1.24

195.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.93 BAM 1.57

11.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.00 BAM 1.69

8.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$3.21 BAM 5.39

27.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$8.45 BAM 14.19

22.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.27 BAM 2.13

34.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.05 BAM 3.45

25.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$1.16 BAM 1.95

-56.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$35.76 BAM 60.1

-26.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.16 BAM 1.95

181.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.56 BAM 0.94

344.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$10.65 BAM 17.89

-69.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.44 BAM 2.42

-9.03%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$23.2K BAM 39.0K

30.39%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$25.9K BAM 43.5K

-9.47%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$125 BAM 210

-33.59%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$11.67 BAM 19.61

90.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$28.53 BAM 47.94

2.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$26.43 BAM 44.41

95.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$10.76 BAM 18.08

70.26%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$5.53 BAM 9.29

-8.32%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$154 BAM 259

30.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$3,285 BAM 5,520

58.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$23.26 BAM 39.08

58.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$17.85 BAM 29.99

122.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$87.9 BAM 148

-10.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$88.6 BAM 149

-1.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$359 BAM 603

170.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$260 BAM 437

79.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$523 BAM 879

213.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$359 BAM 603

240.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,542 BAM 2,590

155.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,223 BAM 2,055

431.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$514 BAM 863

29.22%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Brcko: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $359 in Brcko. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 29% 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 $35.00 in Brcko for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $232 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 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 29% more on average, 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: $973 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 $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $154 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 $956 in Brcko versus $1,297 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 36% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.