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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $722 in Ebene versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,238 in Ebene versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,754 in Ebene versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ebene costs roughly 43% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ebene 46% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.70 MUR 316

$11.72 MX$204

-42.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.05 MUR 1,561

$41.89 MX$731

-21.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.57 MUR 310

$10.51 MX$183

-37.49%

Cappuccino

$2.66 MUR 125

$3.59 MX$62.5

-25.91%

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

$0.93 MUR 43.74

$1.51 MX$26.31

-38.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 MUR 25.16

$0.92 MX$15.96

-42.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 MUR 90.8

$2.96 MX$51.6

-35.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 MUR 127

$4.41 MX$76.9

-38.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 MUR 74.1

$1.40 MX$24.35

12.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MUR 30.51

$1.88 MX$32.87

-65.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 MUR 60.5

$1.56 MX$27.19

-17.95%

Eggs

$2.32 MUR 110

$2.61 MX$45.50

-11.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.68 MUR 410

$8.32 MX$145

4.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.25 MUR 295

$8.35 MX$146

-25.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 MUR 512

$10.86 MX$189

-0.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 MUR 89.0

$2.71 MX$47.31

-30.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 MUR 60.4

$1.51 MX$26.25

-15.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 MUR 67.9

$1.87 MX$32.67

-22.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.74 MUR 129

$2.19 MX$38.19

25.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 MUR 45.87

$1.86 MX$32.40

-47.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 MUR 46.38

$2.23 MX$38.90

-56.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 MUR 39.21

$1.07 MX$18.63

-22.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MUR 27.25

$1.09 MX$18.94

-46.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.09 MUR 288

$4.19 MX$73.0

45.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.46 MUR 400

$10.43 MX$182

-18.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MUR 82.3

$1.66 MX$28.91

4.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 MUR 103

$2.61 MX$45.56

-16.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 MUR 43.40

$0.54 MX$9.45

70.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 MUR 202

$3.08 MX$53.7

39.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 MUR 125

$2.40 MX$41.94

10.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.94 MUR 941

$3.13 MX$54.5

537.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MUR 67.0

$1.31 MX$22.87

8.40%

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

$36.3K MUR 1.7M

$29.8K MX$519.9K

21.65%

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

$29.0K MUR 1.4M

$23.3K MX$406.8K

24.36%

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

$48.98 MUR 2,313

$81.3 MX$1,418

-39.74%

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

$18.38 MUR 868

$22.56 MX$393

-18.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.60 MUR 1,587

$30.05 MX$524

11.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.86 MUR 1,410

$52.9 MX$923

-43.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.73 MUR 318

$18.39 MX$321

-63.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.04 MUR 285

$4.92 MX$85.8

22.76%

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

$151 MUR 7,150

$201 MX$3,502

-24.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,893 MUR 183.8K

$5,175 MX$90.2K

-24.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.89 MUR 2,214

$35.92 MX$627

30.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.13 MUR 2,084

$40.13 MX$700

9.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.74 MUR 2,349

$79.7 MX$1,390

-37.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.3 MUR 2,373

$86.5 MX$1,508

-41.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 MUR 12.4K

$978 MX$17.1K

-73.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 MUR 7,260

$470 MX$8,206

-67.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$601 MUR 28.4K

$1,651 MX$28.8K

-63.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$439 MUR 20.7K

$1,203 MX$21.0K

-63.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,143 MUR 54.0K

$677 MX$11.8K

68.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.42

-41.59%

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

Last update for Ebene: July 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $263 in Ebene and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ebene pays 69% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ebene vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $252 per month, with Ebene 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

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

Ebene is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 75% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 69% higher in Ebene, 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: $263 in Ebene versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $151 in Ebene versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ebene – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $722 in Ebene versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ebene but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ebene the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ebene is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ebene and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ebene gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.