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: $2,722 in Dordrecht versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,850 in Dordrecht versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,977 in Dordrecht versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Dordrecht is roughly 110% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dordrecht is 98% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.82 €17.04

$11.71 MX$198

69.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.1 €80.9

$46.59 MX$788

101.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.26 €13.12

$11.65 MX$197

30.99%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.66

$4.09 MX$69.2

3.91%

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

$3.68 €3.17

$1.37 MX$23.23

168.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.35

$0.83 MX$14.09

230.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 €5.47

$3.35 MX$56.7

89.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.79 €4.98

$6.91 MX$117

-16.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.73 MX$29.20

-20.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.26 MX$38.21

-8.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 €2.63

$1.77 MX$29.91

72.88%

Eggs

$4.23 €3.64

$2.73 MX$46.19

54.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.12 €12.14

$9.18 MX$155

53.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.90 €12.81

$8.92 MX$151

67.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$12.60 MX$213

44.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.31

$3.02 MX$51.1

-10.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.10

$1.57 MX$26.55

56.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.13 MX$35.93

3.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 €3.15

$2.26 MX$38.28

62.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.00 MX$33.88

-1.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.06 MX$34.90

-15.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.18 MX$19.94

11.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.20 MX$20.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.99 €11.16

$4.63 MX$78.4

180.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.17

$10.69 MX$181

-32.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.62 MX$27.38

0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.34

$2.88 MX$48.70

-5.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 €3.95

$0.57 MX$9.69

705.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.5 €79.5

$29.83 MX$504

209.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 €3.80

$5.45 MX$92.1

-18.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.12 €2.68

$3.70 MX$62.6

-15.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.38 €29.56

$5.98 MX$101

474.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.50 €2.15

$1.55 MX$26.26

61.29%

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

$42.6K €36.6K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

90.91%

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

$40.7K €35.0K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

56.95%

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

$427 €367

$89.1 MX$1,507

379.24%

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

$33.97 €29.20

$25.04 MX$423

35.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.56 €41.75

$31.50 MX$532

54.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.85 €33.40

$67.8 MX$1,146

-42.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.56 €21.98

$28.92 MX$489

-11.62%

Cinema Ticket

$14.82 €12.74

$5.05 MX$85.4

193.47%

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

$2,613 €2,246

$225 MX$3,803

1061.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,402 €7,223

$4,222 MX$71.4K

98.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.9 €67.0

$47.44 MX$802

64.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.97 €31.78

$44.98 MX$760

-17.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.2

$82.0 MX$1,386

25.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$183 €157

$92.1 MX$1,557

98.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 €1,308

$1,069 MX$18.1K

42.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 €1,007

$405 MX$6,852

188.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,223 €1,911

$1,935 MX$32.7K

14.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 €1,472

$1,301 MX$22.0K

31.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,499 €3,868

$3,995 MX$67.5K

12.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,932 €3,380

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-40.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,348 €4,597

$749 MX$12.7K

614.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

11.45

-62.71%

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

Last update for Dordrecht: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,522 in Dordrecht and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dordrecht pays 614% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $277 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 110% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 614% 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: $1,522 in Dordrecht versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% 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 $47.00 versus $94.0 in Dordrecht. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,722 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 110% less than in Dordrecht. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.