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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Dessau versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,980 in Dessau versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,166 in Dessau versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Dessau is roughly 42% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dessau is 35% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.18 €16.61

$11.72 MX$203

63.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 €50.6

$41.89 MX$725

39.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 €10.35

$10.51 MX$182

13.70%

Cappuccino

$3.80 €3.29

$3.59 MX$62.0

5.85%

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

$2.58 €2.23

$1.51 MX$26.10

70.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 €2.62

$0.92 MX$15.83

229.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.16 €4.47

$2.96 MX$51.2

74.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 €3.45

$4.41 MX$76.3

-9.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.06

$1.40 MX$24.16

-12.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.88 MX$32.60

25.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 €2.92

$1.56 MX$26.97

116.67%

Eggs

$3.82 €3.31

$2.61 MX$45.14

46.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.92 €12.92

$8.32 MX$144

79.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.38 €12.46

$8.35 MX$145

72.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.98 €20.77

$10.86 MX$188

120.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 €2.55

$2.71 MX$46.93

8.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.51

$1.51 MX$26.04

15.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.87 MX$32.41

22.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.93 €4.27

$2.19 MX$37.89

125.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 €1.32

$1.86 MX$32.14

-18.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.23 MX$38.59

-32.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.07 MX$18.48

92.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.09 MX$18.79

12.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.33 €8.08

$4.19 MX$72.4

122.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.69 €5.80

$10.43 MX$180

-35.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.83

$1.66 MX$28.68

-42.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.46

$2.61 MX$45.19

-35.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 €1.94

$0.54 MX$9.37

314.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.8 €54.4

$26.16 MX$453

140.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.58

$3.08 MX$53.3

71.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.67 €2.31

$2.40 MX$41.61

11.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.01 €30.32

$3.13 MX$54.1

1018.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.31 MX$22.69

45.04%

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

$30.9K €26.8K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

3.79%

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

$38.9K €33.7K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

66.61%

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

$332 €287

$81.3 MX$1,406

307.97%

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

$11.58 €10.03

$22.56 MX$390

-48.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 €47.27

$30.05 MX$520

81.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.78 €27.52

$52.9 MX$915

-39.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 €20.42

$18.39 MX$318

28.22%

Cinema Ticket

$12.77 €11.06

$4.92 MX$85.1

159.55%

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

$232 €201

$201 MX$3,474

15.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K €9,888

$5,175 MX$89.5K

120.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.9 €81.3

$35.92 MX$622

161.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.80 €42.26

$40.13 MX$694

21.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$152 €132

$79.7 MX$1,379

90.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 €162

$86.5 MX$1,496

116.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$465 €403

$978 MX$16.9K

-52.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 €328

$470 MX$8,140

-19.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 €659

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-53.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,079

$1,203 MX$20.8K

3.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,398 €2,943

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-14.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,812 €1,569

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-72.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,206 €1,910

$677 MX$11.7K

226.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.98

11.42

-65.15%

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

Last update for Dessau: July 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $465 in Dessau and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dessau pays 226% 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: $58.0 in Dessau vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $252 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 226% higher in Dessau, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $465 in Dessau versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Dessau. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $58.0 in Dessau. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,794 in Dessau, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Dessau. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dessau, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dessau 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Dessau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.