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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $875 in Cabarete versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,324 in Cabarete versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,773 in Cabarete versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cabarete costs roughly 31% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cabarete 34% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.54 DOP 380

$11.72 MX$203

-44.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 DOP 2,110

$41.89 MX$725

-13.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 DOP 352

$10.51 MX$182

-42.34%

Cappuccino

$2.19 DOP 127

$3.59 MX$62.0

-39.00%

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

$1.02 DOP 59.4

$1.51 MX$26.10

-32.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 DOP 49.02

$0.92 MX$15.83

-8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 DOP 152

$2.96 MX$51.2

-11.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 DOP 212

$4.41 MX$76.3

-17.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 DOP 57.3

$1.40 MX$24.16

-29.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 DOP 78.5

$1.88 MX$32.60

-28.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 DOP 87.8

$1.56 MX$26.97

-3.21%

Eggs

$1.59 DOP 92.2

$2.61 MX$45.14

-39.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.22 DOP 420

$8.32 MX$144

-13.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.72 DOP 274

$8.35 MX$145

-43.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.78 DOP 336

$10.86 MX$188

-46.78%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 DOP 55.9

$2.71 MX$46.93

-64.58%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 DOP 49.79

$1.51 MX$26.04

-43.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 DOP 112

$1.87 MX$32.41

2.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 DOP 74.9

$2.19 MX$37.89

-41.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 DOP 65.2

$1.86 MX$32.14

-39.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 DOP 101

$2.23 MX$38.59

-21.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 DOP 61.4

$1.07 MX$18.48

-0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 DOP 50.4

$1.09 MX$18.79

-20.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 DOP 202

$4.19 MX$72.4

-16.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 DOP 629

$10.43 MX$180

3.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 DOP 131

$1.66 MX$28.68

35.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 DOP 159

$2.61 MX$45.19

4.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 DOP 38.48

$0.54 MX$9.37

22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 DOP 192

$3.08 MX$53.3

7.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 DOP 123

$2.40 MX$41.61

-11.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 DOP 339

$3.13 MX$54.1

86.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 DOP 74.8

$1.31 MX$22.69

-1.53%

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

$26.7K DOP 1.6M

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-10.44%

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

$32.0K DOP 1.9M

$23.3K MX$403.5K

37.26%

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

$50.1 DOP 2,910

$81.3 MX$1,406

-38.39%

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

$25.72 DOP 1,494

$22.56 MX$390

14.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.26 DOP 1,003

$30.05 MX$520

-42.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.26 DOP 2,514

$52.9 MX$915

-18.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$6.61 DOP 384

$4.92 MX$85.1

34.35%

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

$265 DOP 15.4K

$201 MX$3,474

32.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,000 DOP 464.9K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

54.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 DOP 3,421

$35.92 MX$622

63.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 DOP 2,952

$40.13 MX$694

26.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 DOP 5,681

$79.7 MX$1,379

22.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 DOP 6,715

$86.5 MX$1,496

33.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 DOP 50.7K

$978 MX$16.9K

-10.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 DOP 14.9K

$470 MX$8,140

-45.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$603 DOP 35.0K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-63.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 DOP 22.0K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-68.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$313 DOP 18.2K

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-95.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.9

11.42

12.96%

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

Last update for Cabarete: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $872 in Cabarete and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Cabarete vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $252 per month, with Cabarete 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

Cabarete vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cabarete wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cabarete the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,313 in Cabarete and $1,890 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $872 in Cabarete versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $265 in Cabarete versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cabarete – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $875 in Cabarete versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cabarete but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cabarete the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cabarete delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $875 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cabarete hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cabarete and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cabarete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.