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: $1,179 in Dabas versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,736 in Dabas versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,294 in Dabas versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Dabas costs roughly 6% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dabas 11% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 Ft 2,773

$11.72 MX$203

-24.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.90 Ft 10.7K

$41.89 MX$725

-19.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 Ft 2,735

$10.51 MX$182

-17.41%

Cappuccino

$1.40 Ft 440

$3.59 MX$62.0

-61.00%

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

$1.15 Ft 361

$1.51 MX$26.10

-23.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 Ft 141

$0.92 MX$15.83

-51.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 Ft 484

$2.96 MX$51.2

-47.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 Ft 458

$4.41 MX$76.3

-67.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 Ft 337

$1.40 MX$24.16

-23.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 Ft 442

$1.88 MX$32.60

-25.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 591

$1.56 MX$26.97

20.51%

Eggs

$2.44 Ft 769

$2.61 MX$45.14

-6.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 Ft 2,958

$8.32 MX$144

12.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.15 Ft 1,937

$8.35 MX$145

-26.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.43 Ft 4,547

$10.86 MX$188

32.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 633

$2.71 MX$46.93

-25.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 Ft 655

$1.51 MX$26.04

37.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 Ft 692

$1.87 MX$32.41

17.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 Ft 1,120

$2.19 MX$37.89

62.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 Ft 384

$1.86 MX$32.14

-34.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 Ft 388

$2.23 MX$38.59

-44.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 Ft 559

$1.07 MX$18.48

65.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Ft 169

$1.09 MX$18.79

-50.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.30 Ft 2,300

$4.19 MX$72.4

74.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.76 Ft 1,501

$10.43 MX$180

-54.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 Ft 386

$1.66 MX$28.68

-26.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 640

$2.61 MX$45.19

-22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 Ft 356

$0.54 MX$9.37

109.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.17 Ft 7,930

$26.16 MX$453

-3.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 Ft 990

$3.08 MX$53.3

1.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 Ft 335

$2.40 MX$41.61

-55.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.84 Ft 7,196

$3.13 MX$54.1

629.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 Ft 441

$1.31 MX$22.69

6.87%

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

$27.3K Ft 8.6M

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-8.57%

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

$31.9K Ft 10.0M

$23.3K MX$403.5K

36.58%

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

$164 Ft 51.5K

$81.3 MX$1,406

101.28%

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

$27.10 Ft 8,539

$22.56 MX$390

20.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.77 Ft 6,230

$30.05 MX$520

-34.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.94 Ft 14.5K

$52.9 MX$915

-13.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.58 Ft 5,225

$18.39 MX$318

-9.84%

Cinema Ticket

$7.70 Ft 2,426

$4.92 MX$85.1

56.50%

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

$405 Ft 127.5K

$201 MX$3,474

101.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,264 Ft 2.3M

$5,175 MX$89.5K

40.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 Ft 29.1K

$35.92 MX$622

157.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.93 Ft 14.2K

$40.13 MX$694

11.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 Ft 29.3K

$79.7 MX$1,379

16.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 Ft 31.7K

$86.5 MX$1,496

16.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 Ft 138.2K

$978 MX$16.9K

-55.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 Ft 108.4K

$470 MX$8,140

-26.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 Ft 201.2K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-61.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$525 Ft 165.3K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-56.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,519 Ft 1.1M

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-10.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,383 Ft 750.8K

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-63.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-29.95%

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

Last update for Dabas: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $439 in Dabas and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Dabas vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $252 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

Dabas wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dabas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,768 in Dabas 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: $439 in Dabas versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dabas runs roughly 4% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $405 in Dabas versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,179 in Dabas versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dabas but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Dabas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dabas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,179 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dabas hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Dabas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.