Cost of Living Comparison Between Dibba Al-Fujairah and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Dibba Al-Fujairah and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,034 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,083 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,132 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Dibba Al-Fujairah is roughly 61% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dibba Al-Fujairah is 53% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.69 AED 39.25

$11.72 MX$204

-8.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 AED 305

$41.89 MX$731

98.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 AED 35.78

$10.51 MX$183

-7.33%

Cappuccino

$5.51 AED 20.25

$3.59 MX$62.5

53.48%

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

$1.24 AED 4.55

$1.51 MX$26.31

-17.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 AED 3.42

$0.92 MX$15.96

1.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.46 AED 45.76

$2.96 MX$51.6

320.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.74 AED 50.5

$4.41 MX$76.9

211.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 AED 7.28

$1.40 MX$24.35

41.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 AED 5.19

$1.88 MX$32.87

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 AED 8.26

$1.56 MX$27.19

44.23%

Eggs

$3.29 AED 12.08

$2.61 MX$45.50

26.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 AED 36.79

$8.32 MX$145

20.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 AED 34.47

$8.35 MX$146

12.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.74 AED 46.80

$10.86 MX$189

17.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 AED 8.37

$2.71 MX$47.31

-15.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 AED 6.87

$1.51 MX$26.25

23.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.03

$1.87 MX$32.67

2.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 AED 5.52

$2.19 MX$38.19

-31.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 AED 4.33

$1.86 MX$32.40

-36.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 AED 4.65

$2.23 MX$38.90

-43.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 AED 5.16

$1.07 MX$18.63

31.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 AED 2.52

$1.09 MX$18.94

-36.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.70 AED 24.60

$4.19 MX$73.0

59.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.38 AED 60.2

$10.43 MX$182

57.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 AED 10.07

$1.66 MX$28.91

65.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 AED 12.52

$2.61 MX$45.56

30.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 AED 6.14

$0.54 MX$9.45

209.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 AED 194

$26.16 MX$456

102.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 AED 11.87

$3.08 MX$53.7

4.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 AED 1.94

$2.40 MX$41.94

-77.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.28 AED 30.39

$3.13 MX$54.5

164.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 AED 2.66

$1.31 MX$22.87

-44.27%

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

$33.2K AED 122.1K

$29.8K MX$519.9K

11.52%

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

$23.0K AED 84.5K

$23.3K MX$406.8K

-1.38%

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

$214 AED 785

$81.3 MX$1,418

163.12%

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

$60.9 AED 224

$22.56 MX$393

169.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 AED 372

$30.05 MX$524

237.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.4 AED 236

$52.9 MX$923

21.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.45 AED 145

$18.39 MX$321

114.52%

Cinema Ticket

$15.28 AED 56.1

$4.92 MX$85.8

210.57%

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

$826 AED 3,034

$201 MX$3,502

311.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,664 AED 20.8K

$5,175 MX$90.2K

9.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.0 AED 301

$35.92 MX$627

128.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.0 AED 232

$40.13 MX$700

57.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 AED 424

$79.7 MX$1,390

45.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 AED 439

$86.5 MX$1,508

38.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$743 AED 2,729

$978 MX$17.1K

-24.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$754 AED 2,767

$470 MX$8,206

60.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,523 AED 9,267

$1,651 MX$28.8K

52.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 AED 5,001

$1,203 MX$21.0K

13.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,135 AED 18.9K

$3,953 MX$69.0K

29.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 AED 8,566

$6,607 MX$115.2K

-64.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.49

11.42

-60.68%

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

Last update for Dibba Al-Fujairah: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $743 in Dibba Al-Fujairah and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $83.0 in Dibba Al-Fujairah vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $282 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

Dibba Al-Fujairah vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dibba Al-Fujairah and Playa del Carmen differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($2,034 vs $1,260 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,051 in Dibba Al-Fujairah 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: $743 in Dibba Al-Fujairah 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 Playa del Carmen runs roughly 102% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $826 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,034 in Dibba Al-Fujairah, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Dibba Al-Fujairah. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Dibba Al-Fujairah 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 61% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.