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: $1,216 in Cabarete versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,850 in Cabarete versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,484 in Cabarete versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cabarete costs roughly 4% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cabarete 11% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.62 DOP 448

$11.60 MX$200

-34.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 DOP 2,995

$47.11 MX$812

8.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.61 DOP 388

$11.88 MX$205

-44.36%

Cappuccino

$2.00 DOP 118

$3.98 MX$68.6

-49.75%

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

$1.09 DOP 64.0

$1.43 MX$24.60

-23.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 DOP 37.44

$0.82 MX$14.22

-21.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 DOP 153

$3.19 MX$55.0

-18.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 DOP 204

$6.79 MX$117

-48.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 DOP 85.6

$1.68 MX$28.89

-13.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 DOP 92.9

$2.20 MX$37.88

-28.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 DOP 97.9

$1.71 MX$29.45

-2.34%

Eggs

$2.32 DOP 136

$2.74 MX$47.26

-15.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.36 DOP 433

$9.58 MX$165

-23.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.86 DOP 344

$9.01 MX$155

-34.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.86 DOP 403

$12.81 MX$221

-46.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 DOP 178

$2.89 MX$49.81

4.84%

Banana (1kg)

$0.79 DOP 46.36

$1.50 MX$25.81

-47.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 DOP 165

$2.15 MX$37.03

30.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 DOP 108

$2.26 MX$38.96

-18.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 DOP 120

$1.98 MX$34.15

3.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 DOP 135

$1.99 MX$34.30

15.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 DOP 61.9

$1.23 MX$21.28

-14.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 DOP 51.8

$1.20 MX$20.63

-26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 DOP 241

$4.55 MX$78.5

-9.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.59 DOP 622

$10.37 MX$179

2.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 DOP 153

$1.62 MX$27.91

60.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 DOP 151

$2.88 MX$49.67

-10.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 DOP 57.9

$0.60 MX$10.35

63.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 DOP 195

$5.39 MX$92.9

-38.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 DOP 137

$3.73 MX$64.3

-37.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 DOP 355

$5.77 MX$99.5

4.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 DOP 71.0

$1.54 MX$26.48

-21.43%

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

$23.3K DOP 1.4M

$22.5K MX$388.8K

3.12%

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

$33.6K DOP 2.0M

$26.1K MX$449.3K

29.01%

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

$93.9 DOP 5,515

$91.4 MX$1,576

2.71%

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

$31.97 DOP 1,879

$25.20 MX$435

26.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.57 DOP 2,208

$31.24 MX$539

20.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.15 DOP 1,478

$67.2 MX$1,159

-62.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 DOP 461

$4.86 MX$83.8

61.32%

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

$256 DOP 15.1K

$224 MX$3,856

14.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,507 DOP 441.1K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

77.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.91 DOP 2,698

$47.10 MX$812

-2.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.82 DOP 2,751

$44.29 MX$764

5.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 DOP 5,250

$80.1 MX$1,381

11.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 DOP 7,428

$92.7 MX$1,598

36.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$706 DOP 41.5K

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-33.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 DOP 29.6K

$390 MX$6,728

29.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 DOP 71.0K

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-43.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$793 DOP 46.6K

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-37.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$302 DOP 17.7K

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-95.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.56

11.45

18.43%

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

Last update for Cabarete: September 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $706 in Cabarete and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51.0 in Cabarete vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $223 vs $276, with Cabarete cheaper for home cooking.

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 4% 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 $1,824 in Cabarete and $1,899 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: $706 in Cabarete versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $256 in Cabarete versus $224 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 $51.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,216 in Cabarete versus $1,266 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 $1,216 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 4% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.