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: $2,050 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,588 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,126 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Dibba Al-Fujairah is roughly 57% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dibba Al-Fujairah is 49% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.61 AED 24.26

$11.96 MX$203

-44.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.9 AED 305

$47.38 MX$805

75.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 AED 29.46

$11.75 MX$200

-31.74%

Cappuccino

$6.33 AED 23.26

$4.12 MX$70.1

53.64%

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

$0.78 AED 2.88

$1.40 MX$23.78

-44.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 AED 1.03

$0.91 MX$15.50

-69.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.36 AED 49.08

$3.21 MX$54.5

316.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.78 AED 50.6

$7.07 MX$120

94.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 AED 4.87

$1.68 MX$28.49

-20.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 AED 3.91

$2.15 MX$36.53

-50.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 AED 8.95

$1.77 MX$30.14

37.85%

Eggs

$2.19 AED 8.06

$2.82 MX$47.83

-22.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.29

$9.20 MX$156

36.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 AED 24.48

$9.23 MX$157

-27.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 AED 24.73

$12.64 MX$215

-46.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 AED 5.92

$2.95 MX$50.1

-45.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 AED 5.10

$1.58 MX$26.83

-12.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.10

$2.22 MX$37.76

-13.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 AED 5.13

$2.36 MX$40.15

-40.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 AED 2.89

$1.99 MX$33.86

-60.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 AED 3.11

$1.98 MX$33.63

-57.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 AED 5.04

$1.24 MX$21.07

10.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 AED 2.02

$1.21 MX$20.58

-54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 AED 22.05

$4.60 MX$78.2

30.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.60 AED 61.0

$10.52 MX$179

57.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 AED 10.24

$1.69 MX$28.74

65.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 AED 9.77

$2.77 MX$47.13

-3.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.51 AED 9.20

$0.60 MX$10.24

318.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.14 AED 166

$29.70 MX$505

51.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 AED 4.12

$5.24 MX$89.0

-78.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 AED 2.50

$3.65 MX$62.0

-81.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 AED 29.71

$5.78 MX$98.3

39.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 AED 2.54

$1.54 MX$26.13

-55.19%

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

$27.5K AED 100.8K

$22.8K MX$387.4K

20.41%

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

$22.1K AED 81.3K

$25.8K MX$438.5K

-14.25%

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

$248 AED 911

$90.7 MX$1,540

173.57%

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

$52.7 AED 194

$25.19 MX$428

109.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.1 AED 298

$31.75 MX$539

155.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.8 AED 208

$68.8 MX$1,169

-17.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.70 AED 109

$29.37 MX$499

1.12%

Cinema Ticket

$16.18 AED 59.4

$4.86 MX$82.6

232.92%

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

$839 AED 3,083

$226 MX$3,834

271.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,810 AED 21.3K

$4,194 MX$71.2K

38.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.4 AED 281

$47.38 MX$805

61.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 AED 210

$43.45 MX$738

31.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$80.2 MX$1,363

27.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 AED 370

$91.4 MX$1,552

10.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$803 AED 2,948

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-26.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$909 AED 3,338

$409 MX$6,943

122.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,815 AED 6,668

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-7.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,709 AED 9,949

$1,281 MX$21.8K

111.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,367 AED 16.0K

$4,046 MX$68.7K

7.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,311 AED 8,488

$6,704 MX$113.9K

-65.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

11.45

-60.35%

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

Last update for Dibba Al-Fujairah: September 5, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $803 in Dibba Al-Fujairah and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $83.0 in Dibba Al-Fujairah vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $278, with Dibba Al-Fujairah cheaper for home cooking.

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 57% in total monthly costs ($2,050 vs $1,305 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 $3,075 in Dibba Al-Fujairah and $1,958 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: $803 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $1,086 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 52% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $839 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $226 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,050 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 57% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.