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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,362 in Dabas versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,041 in Dabas versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,719 in Dabas versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Dabas is roughly 8% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dabas is 0% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.89 Ft 4,072

$11.60 MX$199

11.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.85 Ft 12.0K

$47.11 MX$809

-19.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 Ft 2,925

$11.88 MX$204

-22.05%

Cappuccino

$1.53 Ft 484

$3.98 MX$68.2

-61.56%

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

$1.41 Ft 445

$1.43 MX$24.49

-1.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 Ft 143

$0.82 MX$14.16

-45.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 Ft 576

$3.19 MX$54.7

-42.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 Ft 503

$6.79 MX$117

-76.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 Ft 392

$1.68 MX$28.76

-26.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 Ft 507

$2.20 MX$37.71

-27.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 Ft 791

$1.71 MX$29.32

46.20%

Eggs

$3.47 Ft 1,096

$2.74 MX$47.05

26.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 Ft 3,383

$9.58 MX$164

11.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.04 Ft 2,225

$9.01 MX$155

-21.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.43 Ft 5,190

$12.81 MX$220

28.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 Ft 777

$2.89 MX$49.58

-14.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 755

$1.50 MX$25.70

59.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 Ft 825

$2.15 MX$36.87

21.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.01 Ft 1,267

$2.26 MX$38.79

77.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 Ft 370

$1.98 MX$34.00

-40.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 Ft 459

$1.99 MX$34.15

-27.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 Ft 604

$1.23 MX$21.18

55.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Ft 174

$1.20 MX$20.54

-54.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.05 Ft 2,544

$4.55 MX$78.1

76.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.72 Ft 1,492

$10.37 MX$178

-54.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 Ft 441

$1.62 MX$27.79

-14.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 Ft 842

$2.88 MX$49.44

-7.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 Ft 416

$0.60 MX$10.30

120.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.57 Ft 9,027

$28.80 MX$494

-0.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 Ft 1,131

$5.39 MX$92.5

-33.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 Ft 435

$3.73 MX$64.0

-63.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.13 Ft 7,939

$5.77 MX$99.0

335.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 Ft 485

$1.54 MX$26.37

-0.65%

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

$31.2K Ft 9.9M

$22.5K MX$387.0K

38.41%

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

$37.3K Ft 11.8M

$26.1K MX$447.3K

43.20%

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

$178 Ft 56.3K

$91.4 MX$1,569

94.89%

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

$21.30 Ft 6,729

$25.20 MX$433

-15.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.74 Ft 6,867

$31.24 MX$536

-30.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.32 Ft 13.7K

$67.2 MX$1,154

-35.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.86 Ft 5,960

$29.11 MX$500

-35.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.31 Ft 2,940

$4.86 MX$83.5

91.56%

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

$448 Ft 141.5K

$224 MX$3,839

100.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,949 Ft 2.5M

$4,229 MX$72.6K

87.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 Ft 32.8K

$47.10 MX$808

120.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.2 Ft 16.5K

$44.29 MX$760

17.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 Ft 31.8K

$80.1 MX$1,375

25.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 Ft 35.9K

$92.7 MX$1,591

22.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 Ft 162.9K

$1,063 MX$18.2K

-51.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 Ft 135.4K

$390 MX$6,698

9.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$772 Ft 244.0K

$2,149 MX$36.9K

-64.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 Ft 211.4K

$1,272 MX$21.8K

-47.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,109 Ft 982.4K

$4,001 MX$68.7K

-22.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,423 Ft 765.7K

$6,502 MX$111.6K

-62.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-30.13%

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

Last update for Dabas: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $516 in Dabas and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in Dabas vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $276 per month, with Dabas 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Dabas. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,043 in Dabas 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: $516 in Dabas versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 1% less than in Dabas. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $448 in Dabas versus $224 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,362 in Dabas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Dabas. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Dabas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.