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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,568 in Dordrecht versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,613 in Dordrecht versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,657 in Dordrecht versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Dordrecht is roughly 104% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dordrecht is 92% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.28 €15.13

$11.99 MX$209

44.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.7 €82.1

$41.78 MX$728

124.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.48 €10.93

$10.75 MX$187

16.09%

Cappuccino

$3.81 €3.33

$3.50 MX$60.9

8.86%

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

$3.53 €3.09

$1.45 MX$25.22

143.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 €2.77

$0.88 MX$15.41

260.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.75 €5.91

$2.95 MX$51.3

128.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 €4.96

$4.51 MX$78.6

25.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.12

$1.43 MX$24.94

-10.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €1.99

$1.84 MX$31.99

23.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 €2.72

$1.57 MX$27.31

98.09%

Eggs

$4.70 €4.12

$2.51 MX$43.74

87.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.06 €12.32

$8.28 MX$144

69.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.52 €13.59

$8.43 MX$147

84.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.63 €14.57

$10.68 MX$186

55.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.08

$2.61 MX$45.43

-9.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.15

$1.44 MX$25.04

70.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.96 MX$34.16

1.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 €4.14

$2.09 MX$36.47

126.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.78

$1.85 MX$32.24

10.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.75

$2.17 MX$37.74

-7.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 €1.09

$1.03 MX$17.96

21.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.75

$1.07 MX$18.70

-19.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.83 €12.11

$4.10 MX$71.4

237.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 €6.37

$10.17 MX$177

-28.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.32

$1.68 MX$29.17

-10.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.53 MX$43.98

7.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 €3.98

$0.51 MX$8.87

792.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.8 €81.3

$26.04 MX$453

256.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 €3.44

$3.23 MX$56.3

21.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.87

$2.41 MX$41.88

-11.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.67 €24.24

$3.23 MX$56.2

756.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 €1.95

$1.32 MX$23.00

68.94%

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

$35.8K €31.4K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

20.55%

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

$33.0K €28.9K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

39.53%

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

$239 €209

$82.0 MX$1,428

191.35%

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

$29.77 €26.07

$22.95 MX$400

29.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 €46.07

$30.11 MX$524

74.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.84 €35.77

$52.0 MX$905

-21.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.69 €21.62

$18.53 MX$323

33.24%

Cinema Ticket

$16.46 €14.42

$4.98 MX$86.6

230.52%

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

$2,195 €1,922

$197 MX$3,438

1011.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,006 €6,136

$5,336 MX$92.9K

31.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 €76.3

$35.60 MX$620

144.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.65 €30.35

$40.33 MX$702

-14.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 €83.4

$78.8 MX$1,371

20.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 €134

$88.9 MX$1,549

72.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,649 €1,445

$947 MX$16.5K

74.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 €1,043

$474 MX$8,254

151.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,294 €2,009

$1,644 MX$28.6K

39.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 €1,474

$1,211 MX$21.1K

39.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,402 €3,855

$4,056 MX$70.6K

8.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,827 €3,351

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-40.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,359 €4,693

$654 MX$11.4K

719.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

11.42

-62.35%

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

Last update for Dordrecht: July 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,649 in Dordrecht and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dordrecht pays 720% 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: $94.0 in Dordrecht vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $347 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

Dordrecht 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 104% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 720% higher in Dordrecht, 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: $1,649 in Dordrecht versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Dordrecht. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $94.0 in Dordrecht. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,568 in Dordrecht, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Dordrecht. 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 Dordrecht, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Dordrecht. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.