Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dededo and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,734 in Dededo, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Dededo
🇬🇺 Guam
$2,734
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dededo 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 Dededo and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in Dededo versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Dededo $2,734
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,908 in Dededo versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Dededo $3,908
  • Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,082 in Dededo versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Dededo $5,082
  • Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Dededo is roughly 127% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dededo is 102% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dededo
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.58 $24.58
$10.86 MX$201
126.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.68 $49.68
$44.21 MX$817
12.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$16.93 $16.93
$11.76 MX$217
43.96%
Cappuccino
$4.47 $4.47
$3.68 MX$68.0
21.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.34 MX$24.79
-16.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 $1.03
$0.82 MX$15.24
25.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.83 $2.83
$3.06 MX$56.6
-7.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.94 MX$91.2
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dededo
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$6.97 $6.97
$1.47 MX$27.17
374.15%
White Bread (500g)
$9.23 $9.23
$2.22 MX$40.95
315.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.22 $2.22
$1.48 MX$27.32
50.00%
Eggs
$7.03 $7.03
$2.49 MX$45.99
182.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$7.52 MX$139
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$18.09 $18.09
$7.96 MX$147
127.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$12.57 MX$232
-
Apples (1kg)
$7.99 $7.99
$2.78 MX$51.3
187.41%
Banana (1kg)
$8.07 $8.07
$1.43 MX$26.37
464.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$10.17 $10.17
$2.62 MX$48.37
288.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$9.78 $9.78
$2.14 MX$39.49
357.01%
Potato (1kg)
$6.25 $6.25
$2.02 MX$37.38
209.41%
Onion (1kg)
$8.48 $8.48
$1.99 MX$36.74
326.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$4.48 $4.48
$1.14 MX$21.01
292.98%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.20 MX$22.18
70.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.23 $9.23
$4.26 MX$78.7
116.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.99 $22.99
$10.02 MX$185
129.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.44 $2.44
$1.54 MX$28.41
58.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.10 $5.10
$2.66 MX$49.17
91.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Dededo
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.53 MX$9.73
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$27.51 MX$508
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$4.90 MX$90.6
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$3.43 MX$63.5
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$5.38 MX$99.4
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
-
$1.45 MX$26.76
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$21.2K MX$391.0K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$23.0K MX$425.3K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dededo
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$203 $203
$85.4 MX$1,577
137.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$49.16 $49.16
$23.46 MX$434
109.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.8 $50.8
$28.43 MX$525
78.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dededo
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$62.2 MX$1,149
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.68 MX$530
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$5.10 MX$94.3
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dededo
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$201 MX$3,715
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$3,947 MX$72.9K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dededo
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.1 $59.1
$44.39 MX$820
33.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$98.5 $98.5
$41.35 MX$764
138.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 $102
$72.7 MX$1,344
40.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 $120
$89.6 MX$1,656
33.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dededo
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,635 $1,635
$979 MX$18.1K
66.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,322 $1,322
$373 MX$6,887
254.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,231 $3,231
$1,681 MX$31.1K
92.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,003 $2,003
$1,095 MX$20.2K
82.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,949 MX$73.0K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,137 MX$113.4K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dededo
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,805 $3,805
$738 MX$13.6K
415.95%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
11.45
-

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

Last update for Dededo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dededo
–
Playa del Carmen
$373
Groceries & Markets
Dededo
–
Playa del Carmen
$258
Eating Out
Dededo
–
Playa del Carmen
$200
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dededo
–
Playa del Carmen
$137
Clothing & Footwear
Dededo
–
Playa del Carmen
$112
Sport & Entertainment
Dededo
–
Playa del Carmen
$72
Getting Around
Dededo
–
Playa del Carmen
$52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,635 in Dededo and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dededo pays 416% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $50.0 in Dededo vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $614 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇺 Dededo
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
00:24 12:24 AM
09:24 9:24 AM
15 h behind Dededo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
45,000
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dededo Playa del Carmen 13,190 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Dededo
  • 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
Dededo vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Dededo or Playa del Carmen?
Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 127% lower than in Dededo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Dededo or in Playa del Carmen?
Average pay runs 416% higher in Dededo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Dededo compared to Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,635 in Dededo versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Dededo compared to Playa del Carmen?
All in, you'll spend $2,734 per month in Dededo versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – a 127% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Are groceries more expensive in Dededo or in Playa del Carmen?
Supermarket bills run roughly 138% higher in Dededo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Dededo or in Playa del Carmen?
At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,734 in Dededo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Dededo. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Dededo or Playa del Carmen?
Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,204 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.
How safe is Dededo compared to Playa del Carmen?
Safety-wise, Dededo 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Dededo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Dededo vs other spots: cost of living compared

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