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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,186 per month in Dunafรถldvรกr vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,832 per month in Dunafรถldvรกr vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,478 per month in Dunafรถldvรกr vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Dunafรถldvรกr is about 7% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Dunafรถldvรกr and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median โ€“ Dunafรถldvรกr 12% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Dunafรถldvรกr
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.47 Ftย 3,470
$11.87 MX$204
-3.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.20 Ftย 14.6K
$42.90 MX$736
12.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.83 Ftย 2,370
$10.65 MX$183
-26.48%
Cappuccino
$2.49 Ftย 753
$3.45 MX$59.2
-27.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 Ftย 432
$1.50 MX$25.81
-4.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 Ftย 280
$0.95 MX$16.28
-2.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.60 Ftย 787
$3.03 MX$51.9
-14.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.64 Ftย 799
$4.61 MX$79.1
-42.73%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Dunafรถldvรกr
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 Ftย 338
$1.38 MX$23.61
-18.84%
White Bread (500g)
$1.48 Ftย 447
$1.85 MX$31.70
-20.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.80 Ftย 543
$1.61 MX$27.65
11.80%
Eggs
$2.95 Ftย 893
$2.59 MX$44.51
13.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.43 Ftย 2,853
$8.26 MX$142
14.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.89 Ftย 1,781
$8.37 MX$144
-29.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.97 Ftย 3,319
$10.66 MX$183
2.91%
Apples (1kg)
$2.24 Ftย 677
$2.63 MX$45.12
-14.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 Ftย 593
$1.49 MX$25.53
31.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.02 Ftย 611
$1.92 MX$32.94
5.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.19 Ftย 1,268
$2.09 MX$35.81
100.48%
Potato (1kg)
$1.40 Ftย 424
$1.86 MX$31.88
-24.73%
Onion (1kg)
$1.27 Ftย 386
$2.26 MX$38.81
-43.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.49 Ftย 451
$1.06 MX$18.23
40.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 Ftย 148
$1.09 MX$18.67
-55.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.51 Ftย 2,273
$4.15 MX$71.2
80.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.45 Ftย 1,951
$10.39 MX$178
-37.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.10 Ftย 332
$1.72 MX$29.59
-36.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.18 Ftย 358
$2.61 MX$44.85
-54.79%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Dunafรถldvรกr
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 Ftย 340
$0.54 MX$9.30
107.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.21 Ftย 7,628
$26.94 MX$462
-6.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.95 Ftย 894
$3.13 MX$53.7
-5.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.15 Ftย 347
$2.51 MX$43.09
-54.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.10 Ftย 5,173
$3.15 MX$54.1
442.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.77 Ftย 535
$1.27 MX$21.88
39.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.1K Ftย 9.4M
$30.4K MX$521.3K
2.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.6K Ftย 11.1M
$23.6K MX$404.5K
55.28%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dunafรถldvรกr
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$146 Ftย 44.1K
$83.0 MX$1,425
75.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.24 Ftย 9,148
$22.71 MX$390
33.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.98 Ftย 7,556
$29.46 MX$506
-15.21%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Dunafรถldvรกr
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.36 Ftย 14.0K
$51.0 MX$875
-9.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.62 Ftย 5,027
$18.33 MX$315
-9.33%
Cinema Ticket
$8.12 Ftย 2,458
$4.93 MX$84.5
64.71%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Dunafรถldvรกr
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$468 Ftย 141.6K
$197 MX$3,386
137.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,638 Ftย 2.0M
$5,280 MX$90.6K
25.73%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Dunafรถldvรกr
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.6 Ftย 27.4K
$36.90 MX$633
145.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.12 Ftย 7,903
$39.89 MX$685
-34.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.9 Ftย 28.4K
$80.0 MX$1,373
17.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 Ftย 31.6K
$89.5 MX$1,536
16.89%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Dunafรถldvรกr
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$451 Ftย 136.4K
$956 MX$16.4K
-52.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$340 Ftย 103.0K
$477 MX$8,189
-28.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$623 Ftย 188.4K
$1,646 MX$28.3K
-62.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$529 Ftย 160.2K
$1,225 MX$21.0K
-56.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,238 Ftย 979.5K
$3,918 MX$67.2K
-17.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,438 Ftย 737.7K
$6,459 MX$110.9K
-62.25%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Dunafรถldvรกr
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$667 MX$11.4K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8
11.42
-29.95%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Dunafรถldvรกr: June 9, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $451 in Dunafรถldvรกr versus $956 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Dunafรถldvรกr versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story โ€“ $227 in Dunafรถldvรกr vs $250 in Playa del Carmen โ€“ so Dunafรถldvรกr wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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
Dunafรถldvรกr vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Dunafรถldvรกr?
Yes โ€“ Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 7%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,779 per month in Dunafรถldvรกr and $1,906 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled โ€“ not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Dunafรถldvรกr, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Dunafรถldvรกr or Playa del Carmen?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Dunafรถldvรกr and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and cafรฉ pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Dunafรถldvรกr vs Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,186 in Dunafรถldvรกr and $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category โ€“ it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Dunafรถldvรกr or Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dunafรถldvรกr, where all-in costs run around $1,186, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Dunafรถldvรกr it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Dunafรถldvรกr or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Dunafรถldvรกr โ€“ lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Dunafรถldvรกr or Playa del Carmen?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison โ€“ central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Dunafรถldvรกr. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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