Cost of Living Comparison Between Dingle and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Dingle and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,585 in Dingle versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,806 in Dingle versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,028 in Dingle versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Dingle is roughly 99% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dingle is 93% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.21 €17.39

$11.73 MX$203

72.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$114 €98.2

$41.62 MX$720

174.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 €9.11

$10.64 MX$184

-0.47%

Cappuccino

$5.42 €4.66

$3.52 MX$60.9

53.98%

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

$2.40 €2.07

$1.51 MX$26.12

58.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.87

$0.97 MX$16.84

123.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.80 €5.85

$2.95 MX$51.0

130.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 €5.70

$4.45 MX$77.0

48.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.15

$1.38 MX$23.93

-2.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.89 MX$32.72

-30.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.64 MX$28.32

9.15%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.41

$2.51 MX$43.34

57.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 €9.56

$8.34 MX$144

33.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.68 €10.05

$8.34 MX$144

40.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.12 €10.43

$10.73 MX$186

12.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.60 MX$45.04

1.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.46 MX$25.20

4.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.90 MX$32.87

29.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.40

$2.08 MX$35.91

34.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 €2.36

$1.78 MX$30.71

53.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.19 MX$37.80

-4.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.04 MX$17.99

105.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.08 MX$18.62

87.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.29 €20.03

$4.08 MX$70.6

470.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 €12.21

$10.32 MX$178

37.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 €3.06

$1.71 MX$29.61

107.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €3.92

$2.58 MX$44.54

76.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 €2.13

$0.51 MX$8.81

386.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.6 €84.8

$26.46 MX$458

272.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.90 €5.07

$3.26 MX$56.4

80.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.49 MX$43.09

-15.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.92

$3.25 MX$56.2

791.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.31 MX$22.61

53.44%

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

$43.0K €37.0K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

41.93%

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

$39.1K €33.6K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

66.73%

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

$243 €209

$82.9 MX$1,433

192.88%

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

$24.21 €20.83

$22.22 MX$384

8.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.70 €41.03

$29.34 MX$507

62.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 €44.99

$51.6 MX$893

1.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$13.74 €11.82

$5.07 MX$87.6

171.01%

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

$1,074 €924

$201 MX$3,473

434.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,865 €6,765

$5,212 MX$90.1K

50.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.5 €78.7

$36.92 MX$639

147.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.21 €36.31

$39.79 MX$688

6.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 €74.9

$78.5 MX$1,357

11.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 €68.9

$87.1 MX$1,506

-8.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 €1,285

$973 MX$16.8K

53.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 €1,052

$468 MX$8,090

161.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,364 €2,034

$1,641 MX$28.4K

44.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 €1,709

$1,221 MX$21.1K

62.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,589 €3,087

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-9.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,203 €2,756

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-50.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,928 €1,658

$664 MX$11.5K

190.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

11.42

-57.97%

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

Last update for Dingle: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,494 in Dingle and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dingle pays 190% 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: $114 in Dingle vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $249 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

Dingle 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 99% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Dingle pays 190% 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: $1,494 in Dingle versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,074 in Dingle versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Dingle. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,585 in Dingle, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Dingle. 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 Dingle, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dingle 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 99% less than in Dingle. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.