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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,934 per month in Dubrovnik vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,801 per month in Dubrovnik vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,669 per month in Dubrovnik vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Dubrovnik costs about 54% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Dubrovnik sits 45% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.47 €15.28

$11.99 MX$210

45.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 €71.1

$41.78 MX$733

94.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.25 €10.72

$10.75 MX$189

13.95%

Cappuccino

$3.63 €3.18

$3.50 MX$61.3

3.71%

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

$4.92 €4.30

$1.45 MX$25.41

239.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 €3.30

$0.88 MX$15.52

328.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.77 €5.92

$2.95 MX$51.7

129.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €3.99

$4.51 MX$79.1

1.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.43 MX$25.12

-13.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 €1.33

$1.84 MX$32.23

-17.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 €1.99

$1.57 MX$27.51

44.59%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.90

$2.51 MX$44.06

77.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.25 €10.72

$8.28 MX$145

47.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.54 €10.97

$8.43 MX$148

48.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.31 €9.02

$10.68 MX$187

-3.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 €1.47

$2.61 MX$45.76

-35.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 €1.47

$1.44 MX$25.22

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.70

$1.96 MX$34.41

-0.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 €2.43

$2.09 MX$36.74

33.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 €1.06

$1.85 MX$32.47

-34.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 €0.76

$2.17 MX$38.02

-59.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.03 MX$18.09

53.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.07 MX$18.84

15.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.19 €4.54

$4.10 MX$72.0

26.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.62 €4.04

$10.17 MX$178

-54.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.68 MX$29.38

-23.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.54

$2.53 MX$44.31

14.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 €2.33

$0.51 MX$8.93

423.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.8 €48.80

$26.04 MX$457

114.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 €2.72

$3.23 MX$56.7

-4.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €1.00

$2.41 MX$42.19

-52.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.71 €6.74

$3.23 MX$56.6

138.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.32 MX$23.17

33.33%

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

$37.4K €32.8K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

26.09%

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

$26.0K €22.7K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

9.69%

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

$184 €161

$82.0 MX$1,439

123.78%

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

$23.22 €20.31

$22.95 MX$403

1.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.85 €23.49

$30.11 MX$528

-10.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 €61.9

$52.0 MX$912

36.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.88 €20.89

$18.53 MX$325

28.87%

Cinema Ticket

$8.19 €7.17

$4.98 MX$87.3

64.46%

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

$92.2 €80.6

$197 MX$3,463

-53.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,171 €7,149

$5,336 MX$93.6K

53.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.1 €65.7

$35.60 MX$624

110.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.98 €25.35

$40.33 MX$707

-28.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.0 €60.4

$78.8 MX$1,381

-12.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 €69.5

$88.9 MX$1,560

-10.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 €1,086

$947 MX$16.6K

31.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 €792

$474 MX$8,314

90.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,494

$1,644 MX$28.8K

3.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,064

$1,211 MX$21.2K

0.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,309 €7,270

$4,056 MX$71.1K

104.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,732

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-34.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,487 €1,301

$654 MX$11.5K

127.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.66

11.42

-59.19%

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

Last update for Dubrovnik: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,241 in Dubrovnik versus $947 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 127% 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 $81.0 in Dubrovnik versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $249 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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: $1,934 in Dubrovnik, $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 54% apart. Dubrovnik costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,901 per month in Dubrovnik and $1,884 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 114% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $92.2 per month in Dubrovnik and $197 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 $1,256, than in Dubrovnik at $1,934. 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen to $1,934 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.