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: $2,026 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,057 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,088 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Dibba Al-Fujairah is roughly 59% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dibba Al-Fujairah is 51% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.87 AED 39.94

$11.87 MX$204

-8.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.2 AED 294

$42.90 MX$736

86.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 AED 34.10

$10.65 MX$183

-12.77%

Cappuccino

$5.46 AED 20.04

$3.45 MX$59.2

58.26%

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

$1.24 AED 4.57

$1.50 MX$25.81

-17.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 AED 3.51

$0.95 MX$16.28

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.47 AED 45.79

$3.03 MX$51.9

311.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.47 AED 49.48

$4.61 MX$79.1

192.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 AED 7.11

$1.38 MX$23.61

40.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 AED 5.07

$1.85 MX$31.70

-25.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 AED 8.27

$1.61 MX$27.65

39.75%

Eggs

$3.29 AED 12.09

$2.59 MX$44.51

27.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 AED 37.52

$8.26 MX$142

23.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 AED 34.28

$8.37 MX$144

11.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.65 AED 46.48

$10.66 MX$183

18.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 AED 8.34

$2.63 MX$45.12

-13.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 AED 6.83

$1.49 MX$25.53

24.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.92 MX$32.94

-0.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 AED 5.63

$2.09 MX$35.81

-26.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 AED 4.49

$1.86 MX$31.88

-34.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 AED 4.61

$2.26 MX$38.81

-44.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 AED 5.31

$1.06 MX$18.23

36.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 AED 2.54

$1.09 MX$18.67

-36.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 AED 24.10

$4.15 MX$71.2

58.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.18 AED 59.5

$10.39 MX$178

55.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 AED 9.55

$1.72 MX$29.59

51.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 AED 12.40

$2.61 MX$44.85

29.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 AED 6.13

$0.54 MX$9.30

209.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.4 AED 196

$26.94 MX$462

98.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 AED 12.30

$3.13 MX$53.7

7.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 AED 1.92

$2.51 MX$43.09

-79.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.31 AED 30.53

$3.15 MX$54.1

163.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 AED 2.88

$1.27 MX$21.88

-37.80%

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

$32.7K AED 120.1K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

7.68%

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

$23.0K AED 84.5K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-2.39%

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

$213 AED 784

$83.0 MX$1,425

157.19%

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

$61.9 AED 227

$22.71 MX$390

172.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 AED 374

$29.46 MX$506

245.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.4 AED 233

$51.0 MX$875

24.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.14 AED 144

$18.33 MX$315

113.53%

Cinema Ticket

$15.13 AED 55.6

$4.93 MX$84.5

206.90%

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

$854 AED 3,137

$197 MX$3,386

332.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,760 AED 21.2K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

9.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.0 AED 305

$36.90 MX$633

124.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.8 AED 230

$39.89 MX$685

57.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 AED 423

$80.0 MX$1,373

43.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 AED 439

$89.5 MX$1,536

33.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 AED 2,726

$956 MX$16.4K

-22.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$769 AED 2,823

$477 MX$8,189

61.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,463 AED 9,048

$1,646 MX$28.3K

49.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,351 AED 4,962

$1,225 MX$21.0K

10.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,430 AED 16.3K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

13.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,219 AED 8,151

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-65.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $742 in Dibba Al-Fujairah and $956 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 $281 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

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

Dibba Al-Fujairah and Playa del Carmen differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($2,026 vs $1,271 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 $3,039 in Dibba Al-Fujairah and $1,906 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: $742 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $956 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 98% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $854 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,026 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 59% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.