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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,757 in Dumfries versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,755 in Dumfries versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,754 in Dumfries versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Dumfries is roughly 39% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dumfries is 28% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.66 £10.95

$11.60 MX$200

26.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 £60.8

$47.11 MX$812

72.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.90 £5.90

$11.88 MX$205

-33.50%

Cappuccino

$4.51 £3.37

$3.98 MX$68.6

13.32%

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

$2.60 £1.94

$1.43 MX$24.60

81.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 £1.01

$0.82 MX$14.22

64.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.68 £4.24

$3.19 MX$55.0

78.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 £4.43

$6.79 MX$117

-12.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 £1.19

$1.68 MX$28.89

-5.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 £1.33

$2.20 MX$37.88

-19.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 £2.06

$1.71 MX$29.45

61.40%

Eggs

$4.45 £3.32

$2.74 MX$47.26

62.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.89 £5.90

$9.58 MX$165

-17.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 £7.11

$9.01 MX$155

5.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.36 £11.48

$12.81 MX$221

19.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 £1.83

$2.89 MX$49.81

-15.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 £1.68

$1.50 MX$25.81

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 £1.76

$2.15 MX$37.03

9.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 £2.17

$2.26 MX$38.96

28.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 £2.33

$1.98 MX$34.15

57.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 £1.60

$1.99 MX$34.30

7.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.23 MX$21.28

36.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 £1.55

$1.20 MX$20.63

73.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.13 £18.03

$4.55 MX$78.5

430.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.03 £8.99

$10.37 MX$179

16.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 £2.46

$1.62 MX$27.91

103.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.41

$2.88 MX$49.67

11.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.23 £3.16

$0.60 MX$10.35

605.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.4 £69.8

$28.80 MX$497

224.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 £3.53

$5.39 MX$92.9

-12.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 £0.72

$3.73 MX$64.3

-74.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.10 £9.05

$5.77 MX$99.5

109.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.54 MX$26.48

27.27%

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

$39.6K £29.6K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

75.51%

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

$41.6K £31.1K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

59.53%

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

$247 £184

$91.4 MX$1,576

169.95%

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

$23.31 £17.42

$25.20 MX$435

-7.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.23 £32.31

$31.24 MX$539

38.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 £38.63

$67.2 MX$1,159

-23.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.44 £20.51

$29.11 MX$502

-5.74%

Cinema Ticket

$13.70 £10.24

$4.86 MX$83.8

181.89%

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

$1,952 £1,458

$224 MX$3,856

772.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K £16.8K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

431.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.0 £61.3

$47.10 MX$812

74.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 £40.52

$44.29 MX$764

22.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 £95.1

$80.1 MX$1,381

58.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.1 £68.1

$92.7 MX$1,598

-1.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 £465

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-41.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 £407

$390 MX$6,728

39.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 £767

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-52.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$971 £726

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-23.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,094 £3,807

$4,001 MX$69.0K

27.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,011 £2,998

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-38.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,610 £2,698

$758 MX$13.1K

376.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.41

11.45

-52.75%

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

Last update for Dumfries: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $622 in Dumfries and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dumfries pays 376% 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: $81.0 in Dumfries vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $276 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

Dumfries 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 376% higher in Dumfries, 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: $622 in Dumfries versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $81.0 in Dumfries. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,757 per month in Dumfries versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,757 in Dumfries, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Dumfries. 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 Dumfries, 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 39% less than in Dumfries. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.