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: $2,066 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,118 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,170 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Dibba Al-Fujairah is 54% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.80 AED 39.64

$11.94 MX$208

-9.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 AED 295

$42.75 MX$744

88.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 AED 33.97

$10.59 MX$184

-12.56%

Cappuccino

$5.48 AED 20.13

$3.62 MX$63.0

51.38%

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

$1.24 AED 4.54

$1.47 MX$25.54

-15.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 AED 3.30

$0.94 MX$16.41

-4.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.04 AED 44.19

$3.09 MX$53.8

289.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.75 AED 50.5

$4.46 MX$77.6

208.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 AED 7.35

$1.43 MX$24.80

39.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 AED 5.03

$1.88 MX$32.79

-27.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 AED 8.23

$1.63 MX$28.34

37.42%

Eggs

$3.33 AED 12.21

$2.64 MX$45.99

26.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 AED 37.43

$8.21 MX$143

24.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 AED 33.69

$8.29 MX$144

10.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.46 AED 45.72

$11.10 MX$193

12.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 AED 8.41

$2.65 MX$46.14

-13.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 AED 7.21

$1.50 MX$26.11

31.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.08

$1.99 MX$34.59

-3.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 AED 5.74

$2.08 MX$36.13

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 AED 4.57

$1.79 MX$31.11

-30.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 AED 4.63

$2.18 MX$37.87

-42.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 AED 5.09

$1.08 MX$18.73

28.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 AED 2.50

$1.04 MX$18.04

-34.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 AED 24.26

$3.97 MX$69.1

66.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 AED 70.9

$10.20 MX$178

89.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 AED 9.68

$1.73 MX$30.04

52.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 AED 13.06

$2.50 MX$43.46

42.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 AED 5.95

$0.52 MX$9.02

211.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.5 AED 189

$26.97 MX$469

90.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 AED 11.96

$3.14 MX$54.7

3.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 AED 2.04

$2.40 MX$41.80

-76.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.05 AED 29.55

$3.09 MX$53.7

160.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 AED 2.70

$1.27 MX$22.16

-41.73%

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

$32.6K AED 119.6K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

5.52%

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

$22.9K AED 84.1K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

-1.66%

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

$215 AED 787

$82.0 MX$1,427

161.55%

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

$62.5 AED 229

$22.45 MX$391

178.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 AED 375

$29.66 MX$516

244.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.0 AED 235

$51.9 MX$903

23.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.99 AED 147

$18.67 MX$325

114.19%

Cinema Ticket

$14.78 AED 54.3

$4.97 MX$86.5

197.38%

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

$844 AED 3,097

$198 MX$3,442

326.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,669 AED 20.8K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

7.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 AED 302

$36.34 MX$632

126.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.1 AED 231

$40.05 MX$697

57.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 AED 411

$79.9 MX$1,390

40.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 AED 447

$88.9 MX$1,547

37.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$755 AED 2,771

$963 MX$16.8K

-21.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 AED 2,741

$465 MX$8,086

60.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,556 AED 9,380

$1,596 MX$27.8K

60.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 AED 4,965

$1,209 MX$21.0K

11.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,985 AED 18.3K

$3,942 MX$68.6K

26.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,058 AED 7,551

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-68.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $755 in Dibba Al-Fujairah and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $80.0 in Dibba Al-Fujairah vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $251 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 ($2,066 vs $1,287 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 $3,099 in Dibba Al-Fujairah and $1,930 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: $755 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $963 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 91% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $844 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,066 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.