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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $851 in Dourados versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,336 in Dourados versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,820 in Dourados versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Dourados costs roughly 35% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dourados 38% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.83 R$29.77

$11.96 MX$202

-51.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.55 R$156

$47.38 MX$800

-35.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.96 R$35.55

$11.75 MX$198

-40.77%

Cappuccino

$1.95 R$9.97

$4.12 MX$69.6

-52.67%

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

$1.24 R$6.32

$1.40 MX$23.63

-11.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 R$3.94

$0.91 MX$15.40

-15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 R$9.87

$3.21 MX$54.1

-39.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 R$15.17

$7.07 MX$119

-57.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 R$5.13

$1.68 MX$28.31

-40.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 R$8.52

$2.15 MX$36.31

-22.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.15

$1.77 MX$29.96

-32.20%

Eggs

$2.14 R$10.93

$2.82 MX$47.54

-24.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 R$45.84

$9.20 MX$155

-2.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 R$20.93

$9.23 MX$156

-55.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.27 R$42.24

$12.64 MX$213

-34.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 R$10.82

$2.95 MX$49.83

-28.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.40

$1.58 MX$26.66

-20.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 R$6.03

$2.22 MX$37.53

-46.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$7.99

$2.36 MX$39.90

-33.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.18

$1.99 MX$33.65

-39.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.55

$1.98 MX$33.42

-44.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 R$4.20

$1.24 MX$20.94

-33.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 R$4.12

$1.21 MX$20.46

-33.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 R$12.38

$4.60 MX$77.7

-47.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 R$40.43

$10.52 MX$178

-24.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.10

$1.69 MX$28.56

-29.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 R$10.79

$2.77 MX$46.84

-23.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$5.10

$0.60 MX$10.17

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.36 R$216

$29.70 MX$502

42.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 R$6.30

$5.24 MX$88.4

-76.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 R$4.37

$3.65 MX$61.6

-76.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.86 R$40.11

$5.78 MX$97.7

35.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.22

$1.54 MX$25.97

-20.78%

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

$22.7K R$115.9K

$22.8K MX$385.0K

-0.43%

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

$31.9K R$163.0K

$25.8K MX$435.8K

23.73%

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

$72.2 R$369

$90.7 MX$1,531

-20.34%

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

$12.27 R$62.6

$25.19 MX$425

-51.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.17 R$103

$31.75 MX$536

-36.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.78 R$127

$68.8 MX$1,162

-63.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.50 R$135

$29.37 MX$496

-9.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 R$36.27

$4.86 MX$82.1

46.30%

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

$286 R$1,460

$226 MX$3,811

26.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,418 R$37.9K

$4,194 MX$70.8K

76.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 R$270

$47.38 MX$800

11.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.50 R$248

$43.45 MX$734

11.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 R$467

$80.2 MX$1,355

14.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.6 R$355

$91.4 MX$1,543

-23.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 R$1,723

$1,086 MX$18.3K

-68.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$233 R$1,189

$409 MX$6,900

-43.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$635 R$3,243

$1,972 MX$33.3K

-67.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 R$2,311

$1,281 MX$21.6K

-64.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,596 R$8,147

$4,046 MX$68.3K

-60.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,129 R$5,763

$6,704 MX$113.2K

-83.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.12

11.45

-2.88%

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

Last update for Dourados: September 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $338 in Dourados and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $31.00 in Dourados vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $278 per month, with Dourados 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

Dourados vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dourados wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dourados the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,277 in Dourados and $1,958 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: $338 in Dourados versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Dourados – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $851 in Dourados versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dourados but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Dourados the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dourados delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $851 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dourados hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Dourados gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.