Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between David and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in David: $882 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

David

🇵🇦 Panama

$882

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in David and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in David and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $882 per month in David vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

David $882
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $946 per month in David vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

David $946
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $1,011 per month in David vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

David $1,011
Playa del Carmen $3,016

David is about 27% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both David and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – David 35% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.52 PAB 5.52

$10.76 MX$199

-48.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.03 PAB 37.03

$43.03 MX$795

-13.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 PAB 7.27

$11.79 MX$218

-38.34%

Cappuccino

$3.13 PAB 3.13

$3.87 MX$71.4

-19.12%

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

$1.47 PAB 1.47

$1.37 MX$25.29

7.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 PAB 1.52

$0.84 MX$15.44

80.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 PAB 1.99

$3.10 MX$57.3

-35.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 PAB 2.72

$5.07 MX$93.6

-46.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 PAB 1.73

$1.44 MX$26.55

20.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 PAB 2.26

$2.23 MX$41.23

1.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 PAB 2.46

$1.47 MX$27.17

67.35%

Eggs

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$2.53 MX$46.71

-4.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 PAB 1.99

$1.19 MX$22.02

67.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 PAB 10.18

$9.59 MX$177

6.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 PAB 0.76

$0.57 MX$10.47

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 PAB 2.96

$4.98 MX$92.1

-40.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PAB 2.04

$3.50 MX$64.6

-41.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 PAB 1.07

$1.47 MX$27.08

-27.21%

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

$25.0K PAB 25.0K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

18.95%

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

$30.6K PAB 30.6K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

27.79%

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

$184 PAB 184

$84.2 MX$1,556

118.11%

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

$28.48 PAB 28.48

$23.99 MX$443

18.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.40 PAB 49.40

$29.02 MX$536

70.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.21 PAB 31.21

$63.0 MX$1,164

-50.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

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

$204 MX$3,763

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,091 PAB 6,091

$3,941 MX$72.8K

54.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 PAB 343

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-65.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 PAB 354

$374 MX$6,911

-5.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$604 PAB 604

$754 MX$13.9K

-19.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-38.86%

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

Last update for David: October 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

David

–

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Groceries & Markets

David

–

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Eating Out

David

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

David

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Clothing & Footwear

David

–

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

David

–

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Getting Around

David

–

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $343 in David versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 25% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in David versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $88.0 vs $258 – making David the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 David

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

12:16 12:16 PM

Same time as David

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

82,907

149,923

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

David Playa del Carmen 1,440 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

David
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,323 per month in David and $1,816 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in David, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 194% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in David and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in David, where all-in costs run around $882, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In David it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward David – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with David. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.