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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,100 in Burrel, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,648 in Burrel, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,196 in Burrel, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 15% 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 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$9.32 ALL 761

27.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$37.00 ALL 3,023

15.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.25 ALL 593

46.90%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.96 ALL 160

76.02%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.64 ALL 134

-8.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.86 ALL 70.0

10.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.39 ALL 195

26.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.29 ALL 268

40.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$2.06 ALL 168

-33.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.85 ALL 69.1

117.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.94 ALL 158

-17.01%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.94 ALL 240

-11.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.07 ALL 822

-17.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.99 ALL 653

4.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$13.10 ALL 1,070

-18.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.87 ALL 153

40.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.39 ALL 195

-37.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.67 ALL 137

14.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.33 ALL 109

57.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.01 ALL 82.2

84.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.20 ALL 97.7

88.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.09 ALL 89.4

-2.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.77 ALL 63.2

41.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.97 ALL 325

4.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$9.86 ALL 806

5.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.68 ALL 138

2.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.79 ALL 146

45.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.45 ALL 36.81

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$18.79 ALL 1,535

43.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.48 ALL 284

-10.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$3.21 ALL 262

-21.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$17.89 ALL 1,461

-82.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$2.21 ALL 180

-42.53%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$34.4K ALL 2.8M

-11.70%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$25.4K ALL 2.1M

-7.05%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$67.9 ALL 5,551

22.17%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$17.30 ALL 1,413

31.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$15.82 ALL 1,292

86.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$56.0 ALL 4,575

-8.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$24.90 ALL 2,034

-26.39%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$8.19 ALL 669

-39.80%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$92.8 ALL 7,579

112.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$46.82 ALL 3,826

-21.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$53.3 ALL 4,357

-25.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$95.9 ALL 7,835

-16.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$139 ALL 11.3K

-35.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$443 ALL 36.2K

115.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$338 ALL 27.6K

41.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$615 ALL 50.2K

167.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$443 ALL 36.2K

176.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,954 ALL 159.6K

100.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,323 ALL 108.1K

388.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Burrel: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $443 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: $250 vs $246 – 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 15% 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,650 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 $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $92.8 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 $1,100, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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 $1,100 versus $1,271 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.