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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,085 in Burrel, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,635 in Burrel, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,185 in Burrel, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 16% more than Burrel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Burrel are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Burrel 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$9.35 ALL 760

25.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$37.00 ALL 3,006

13.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.04 ALL 572

49.29%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.87 ALL 152

91.98%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.56 ALL 127

-3.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.86 ALL 70.1

6.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.30 ALL 187

28.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.33 ALL 270

32.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$2.06 ALL 167

-32.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.91 ALL 73.9

106.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.95 ALL 158

-20.00%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$3.00 ALL 244

-13.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$10.15 ALL 825

-18.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$7.92 ALL 644

5.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$13.37 ALL 1,086

-18.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.82 ALL 148

48.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.35 ALL 191

-35.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.65 ALL 134

13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.38 ALL 112

58.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.05 ALL 85.5

77.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.18 ALL 95.8

88.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.15 ALL 93.5

-6.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.78 ALL 63.2

39.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$3.96 ALL 322

5.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$9.87 ALL 802

5.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.66 ALL 135

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.73 ALL 141

50.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.46 ALL 37.32

17.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$19.10 ALL 1,552

36.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$3.56 ALL 289

-13.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$3.05 ALL 248

-21.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$17.79 ALL 1,446

-82.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$2.13 ALL 173

-38.50%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$34.2K ALL 2.8M

-12.83%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$25.9K ALL 2.1M

-9.83%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$67.2 ALL 5,459

20.97%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$17.15 ALL 1,394

31.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$15.72 ALL 1,277

91.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$56.1 ALL 4,556

-5.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$25.20 ALL 2,048

-27.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$8.21 ALL 667

-40.07%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$94.7 ALL 7,696

112.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$48.00 ALL 3,900

-25.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$53.1 ALL 4,310

-24.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$95.5 ALL 7,757

-16.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$142 ALL 11.5K

-39.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$445 ALL 36.2K

119.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$349 ALL 28.3K

35.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$614 ALL 49.9K

168.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$432 ALL 35.1K

178.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,804 ALL 146.6K

119.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,212 ALL 98.5K

445.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

185.50%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Burrel: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $445 in Burrel. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $37.00 in Burrel. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $247 – making Burrel 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 Burrel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 16% more than Burrel, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,627 in Burrel. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Burrel, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $94.7 in Burrel. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Burrel, where all-in costs run around $1,085, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Burrel it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Burrel costs $1,085 versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Burrel. 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.