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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,102 in Burrel, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,658 in Burrel, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,214 in Burrel, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 17% more than Burrel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Burrel are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Burrel 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$9.45 ALL 771

26.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$36.65 ALL 2,993

16.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.08 ALL 578

49.58%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.96 ALL 160

84.69%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.66 ALL 135

-11.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.80 ALL 65.6

17.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.31 ALL 189

33.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.21 ALL 262

38.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.05 ALL 168

-30.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.92 ALL 75.2

104.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$2.02 ALL 165

-19.31%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$3.04 ALL 248

-13.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$10.04 ALL 820

-18.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$7.95 ALL 649

4.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$13.49 ALL 1,101

-17.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.86 ALL 152

42.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.44 ALL 199

-38.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.69 ALL 138

17.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.34 ALL 110

55.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.00 ALL 81.8

79.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.18 ALL 96.1

84.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.10 ALL 90.2

-1.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.73 ALL 59.4

42.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.12 ALL 336

-3.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$9.99 ALL 816

2.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.69 ALL 138

2.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.75 ALL 143

42.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.49 ALL 40.26

6.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$18.50 ALL 1,510

45.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$3.44 ALL 281

-8.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$3.10 ALL 253

-22.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$17.49 ALL 1,428

-82.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$2.19 ALL 178

-42.01%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$35.1K ALL 2.9M

-12.01%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$25.8K ALL 2.1M

-9.47%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$66.5 ALL 5,430

23.32%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$17.64 ALL 1,441

27.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$15.78 ALL 1,288

87.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$54.1 ALL 4,419

-4.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$25.09 ALL 2,048

-25.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$8.03 ALL 656

-38.11%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$92.3 ALL 7,540

114.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$47.36 ALL 3,867

-23.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$52.3 ALL 4,272

-23.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$92.4 ALL 7,545

-13.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$144 ALL 11.7K

-38.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$444 ALL 36.3K

116.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$347 ALL 28.3K

34.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$609 ALL 49.7K

162.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$440 ALL 35.9K

174.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,832 ALL 149.6K

115.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,223 ALL 99.9K

427.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Burrel: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $444 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $37.00 in Burrel. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $248 – 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 17% 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,653 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 $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $92.3 in Burrel. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% 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 $1,102, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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 $1,102 versus $1,287 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.