Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubrovnik and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $1,979 in Dubrovnik, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Dubrovnik
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Dubrovnik Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Dubrovnik

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,979

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubrovnik and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dubrovnik and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,979 per month in Dubrovnik vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Dubrovnik $1,979
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $2,933 per month in Dubrovnik vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Dubrovnik $2,933
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $3,886 per month in Dubrovnik vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Dubrovnik $3,886
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Dubrovnik costs about 64% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Dubrovnik sits 47% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.49 €17.34

$10.76 MX$199

81.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.3 €68.8

$43.03 MX$795

79.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.71 €11.30

$11.79 MX$218

7.80%

Cappuccino

$4.21 €3.74

$3.87 MX$71.4

8.79%

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

$4.50 €4.01

$1.37 MX$25.29

228.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 €3.99

$0.84 MX$15.44

434.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 €4.85

$3.10 MX$57.3

75.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 €7.10

$5.07 MX$93.6

57.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.44 MX$26.55

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 €1.07

$2.23 MX$41.23

-45.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 €2.05

$1.47 MX$27.17

56.46%

Eggs

$4.18 €3.72

$2.53 MX$46.71

65.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.90 €8.81

$7.30 MX$135

35.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €7.97

$7.86 MX$145

13.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 €8.54

$12.79 MX$236

-24.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 €1.58

$2.90 MX$53.6

-38.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.44 MX$26.53

-5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$2.55 MX$47.07

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.74 €2.44

$2.06 MX$38.03

33.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 €0.77

$2.00 MX$36.97

-57.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 €0.81

$2.01 MX$37.07

-54.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.19 MX$22.02

-7.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.26 MX$23.23

-0.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.36 €4.76

$4.40 MX$81.4

21.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.41 €3.92

$9.59 MX$177

-54.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.59 MX$29.41

-16.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 €2.56

$2.81 MX$51.9

2.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 €2.51

$0.57 MX$10.47

396.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.6 €48.53

$27.82 MX$514

96.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.41 €3.92

$4.98 MX$92.1

-11.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 €1.08

$3.50 MX$64.6

-65.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.40 €6.58

$5.40 MX$99.8

37.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.47 MX$27.08

22.45%

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

$25.9K €23.0K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

23.44%

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

$25.5K €22.7K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

6.63%

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

$178 €158

$84.2 MX$1,556

110.79%

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

$22.58 €20.09

$23.99 MX$443

-5.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.34 €37.66

$29.02 MX$536

45.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.1 €62.4

$63.0 MX$1,164

11.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.39 €20.81

$29.14 MX$539

-19.73%

Cinema Ticket

$8.00 €7.12

$4.94 MX$91.3

61.94%

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

$90.6 €80.6

$204 MX$3,763

-55.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,922 €6,157

$3,941 MX$72.8K

75.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 €65.2

$43.60 MX$806

68.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.46 €24.43

$43.12 MX$797

-36.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.3 €58.9

$75.8 MX$1,400

-12.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 €69.7

$88.6 MX$1,637

-11.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 €1,283

$1,008 MX$18.6K

43.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 €806

$374 MX$6,911

142.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,964 €1,747

$1,708 MX$31.6K

14.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 €1,283

$1,106 MX$20.4K

30.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,912 €7,038

$3,944 MX$72.9K

100.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,158 €3,698

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-32.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,437 €1,279

$754 MX$13.9K

90.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.45

-66.90%

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

Last update for Dubrovnik: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Dubrovnik

$906 45.8%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 58.7% $532

Eating Out

Dubrovnik

$324 16.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 37.5% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubrovnik

$242 12.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 43.4% $105

Groceries & Markets

Dubrovnik

$235 11.9%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 10.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Dubrovnik

$110 5.6%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 2.3% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Dubrovnik

$86 4.4%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 15.4% $13

Getting Around

Dubrovnik

$76 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 31.2% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,442 in Dubrovnik versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 91% higher in Dubrovnik, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Dubrovnik versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Dubrovnik vs $258 in Playa del Carmen – so Dubrovnik wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Dubrovnik

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

04:04 4:04 AM

21:04 9:04 PM

7 h behind Dubrovnik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,562

149,923

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dubrovnik Playa del Carmen 9,630 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubrovnik
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,979 in Dubrovnik, $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 64% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,969 per month in Dubrovnik and $1,816 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 96% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $90.6 per month in Dubrovnik and $204 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,210, than in Dubrovnik at $1,979. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubrovnik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,210 in Playa del Carmen to $1,979 in Dubrovnik. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dubrovnik makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.