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: $857 in Cabarete versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,336 in Cabarete versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,815 in Cabarete versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cabarete costs roughly 33% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cabarete 36% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.39 DOP 374

$11.87 MX$204

-46.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.22 DOP 2,063

$42.90 MX$736

-17.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.33 DOP 371

$10.65 MX$183

-40.56%

Cappuccino

$2.20 DOP 129

$3.45 MX$59.2

-36.23%

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

$0.98 DOP 57.4

$1.50 MX$25.81

-34.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 DOP 49.81

$0.95 MX$16.28

-10.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 DOP 152

$3.03 MX$51.9

-14.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 DOP 216

$4.61 MX$79.1

-19.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 DOP 54.5

$1.38 MX$23.61

-32.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 DOP 82.3

$1.85 MX$31.70

-23.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 DOP 86.3

$1.61 MX$27.65

-8.70%

Eggs

$1.64 DOP 96.3

$2.59 MX$44.51

-36.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.22 DOP 423

$8.26 MX$142

-12.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 DOP 283

$8.37 MX$144

-42.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.49 DOP 321

$10.66 MX$183

-48.50%

Apples (1kg)

$0.90 DOP 52.7

$2.63 MX$45.12

-65.78%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 DOP 50.4

$1.49 MX$25.53

-42.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 DOP 112

$1.92 MX$32.94

-0.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 DOP 77.9

$2.09 MX$35.81

-36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 DOP 62.0

$1.86 MX$31.88

-43.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 DOP 102

$2.26 MX$38.81

-22.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 DOP 65.0

$1.06 MX$18.23

4.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 DOP 54.4

$1.09 MX$18.67

-14.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 DOP 197

$4.15 MX$71.2

-19.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.68 DOP 626

$10.39 MX$178

2.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 DOP 139

$1.72 MX$29.59

37.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 DOP 157

$2.61 MX$44.85

3.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 DOP 40.53

$0.54 MX$9.30

27.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 DOP 200

$3.13 MX$53.7

9.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 DOP 125

$2.51 MX$43.09

-14.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.99 DOP 351

$3.15 MX$54.1

90.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 DOP 73.1

$1.27 MX$21.88

-1.57%

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

$26.5K DOP 1.6M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-12.74%

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

$31.8K DOP 1.9M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

35.12%

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

$50.5 DOP 2,957

$83.0 MX$1,425

-39.19%

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

$24.98 DOP 1,463

$22.71 MX$390

10.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.73 DOP 980

$29.46 MX$506

-43.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.57 DOP 2,552

$51.0 MX$875

-14.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 DOP 393

$4.93 MX$84.5

35.90%

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

$264 DOP 15.4K

$197 MX$3,386

33.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,042 DOP 471.1K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

52.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 DOP 3,484

$36.90 MX$633

61.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 DOP 3,001

$39.89 MX$685

28.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 DOP 5,562

$80.0 MX$1,373

18.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 DOP 6,823

$89.5 MX$1,536

30.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$875 DOP 51.2K

$956 MX$16.4K

-8.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$255 DOP 14.9K

$477 MX$8,189

-46.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$601 DOP 35.2K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-63.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 DOP 21.8K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-69.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$305 DOP 17.9K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-95.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $875 in Cabarete and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Cabarete vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $250 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 48% 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 $1,286 in Cabarete and $1,906 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: $875 in Cabarete versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $264 in Cabarete versus $197 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 $35.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $857 in Cabarete versus $1,271 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 $857 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 48% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.