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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,152 in Burrel, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,722 in Burrel, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,292 in Burrel, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 10% more than Burrel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Burrel are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Burrel 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$10.24 ALL 809

13.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$40.36 ALL 3,189

16.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.70 ALL 609

54.29%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.98 ALL 156

101.01%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.97 ALL 156

-27.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.70 ALL 55.5

17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.47 ALL 195

29.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.42 ALL 270

98.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$2.08 ALL 165

-19.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.94 ALL 74.1

134.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.17 ALL 171

-21.20%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.68 ALL 211

2.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$10.59 ALL 837

-9.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$8.76 ALL 692

2.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$14.29 ALL 1,129

-10.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.04 ALL 161

41.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.36 ALL 187

-36.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.73 ALL 137

24.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.66 ALL 131

36.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.12 ALL 88.3

76.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.31 ALL 103

51.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.18 ALL 93.4

4.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.79 ALL 62.8

51.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.30 ALL 340

5.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$9.99 ALL 789

3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.83 ALL 145

-11.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.90 ALL 150

51.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.57 ALL 45.23

5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$21.87 ALL 1,727

31.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$3.81 ALL 301

41.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$3.87 ALL 306

-3.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$19.14 ALL 1,512

-69.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$2.18 ALL 173

-29.36%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$35.1K ALL 2.8M

-35.69%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$25.4K ALL 2.0M

2.60%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$62.9 ALL 4,965

45.39%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$16.85 ALL 1,331

49.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$12.36 ALL 976

152.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$61.0 ALL 4,820

10.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$8.75 ALL 692

-44.46%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$99.4 ALL 7,849

125.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$51.2 ALL 4,048

-8.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$57.5 ALL 4,538

-22.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$101 ALL 7,995

-20.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$151 ALL 12.0K

-38.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$493 ALL 39.0K

115.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$339 ALL 26.8K

15.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$725 ALL 57.3K

196.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$480 ALL 37.9K

164.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,898 ALL 149.9K

110.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,281 ALL 101.2K

407.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

129.00%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Burrel: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $493 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $40.00 in Burrel. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $261 – 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 10% 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,728 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 $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $99.4 in Burrel. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% 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 $1,152, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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 $1,152 versus $1,266 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.