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: $1,821 in Dessau versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,042 in Dessau versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,263 in Dessau versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Dessau is roughly 43% more expensive than 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

$18.95 €16.33

$11.87 MX$204

59.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 €50.7

$42.90 MX$736

37.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 €10.27

$10.65 MX$183

11.92%

Cappuccino

$3.70 €3.18

$3.45 MX$59.2

7.25%

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

$2.58 €2.23

$1.50 MX$25.81

72.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.58

$0.95 MX$16.28

214.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.28 €4.55

$3.03 MX$51.9

74.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 €3.52

$4.61 MX$79.1

-11.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.38 MX$23.61

-7.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.85 MX$31.70

28.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 €2.80

$1.61 MX$27.65

101.86%

Eggs

$3.92 €3.38

$2.59 MX$44.51

51.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.87 €12.81

$8.26 MX$142

80.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.84 €12.78

$8.37 MX$144

77.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.19 €20.84

$10.66 MX$183

126.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.63 MX$45.12

14.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.49 MX$25.53

10.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.92 MX$32.94

19.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.02 €4.32

$2.09 MX$35.81

140.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.86 MX$31.88

-20.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.28

$2.26 MX$38.81

-34.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.06 MX$18.23

88.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.09 MX$18.67

11.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.77 €8.41

$4.15 MX$71.2

135.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.73 €5.80

$10.39 MX$178

-35.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.81

$1.72 MX$29.59

-45.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.42

$2.61 MX$44.85

-36.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.31 €1.99

$0.54 MX$9.30

327.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.7 €54.0

$26.94 MX$462

132.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 €4.44

$3.13 MX$53.7

64.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.51 MX$43.09

5.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.88 €30.05

$3.15 MX$54.1

1007.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.27 MX$21.88

52.76%

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

$31.0K €26.7K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

2.12%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

64.75%

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

$321 €276

$83.0 MX$1,425

286.34%

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

$11.51 €9.92

$22.71 MX$390

-49.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 €47.27

$29.46 MX$506

86.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.01 €27.58

$51.0 MX$875

-37.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.60 €20.34

$18.33 MX$315

28.75%

Cinema Ticket

$12.57 €10.83

$4.93 MX$84.5

154.97%

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

$234 €202

$197 MX$3,386

18.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K €10.0K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

120.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.2 €82.0

$36.90 MX$633

158.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 €43.17

$39.89 MX$685

25.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$154 €133

$80.0 MX$1,373

92.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$194 €167

$89.5 MX$1,536

116.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$466 €402

$956 MX$16.4K

-51.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 €337

$477 MX$8,189

-17.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 €635

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-55.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 €1,049

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-0.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,470 €2,990

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-11.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,803 €1,553

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-72.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,270 €1,956

$667 MX$11.4K

240.31%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $466 in Dessau and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dessau pays 240% 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: $59.0 in Dessau vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $367 vs $250 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 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Dessau pays 240% more on average, 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: $466 in Dessau versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% 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 $43.00 versus $59.0 in Dessau. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,821 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 43% less than in Dessau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.