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: $731 in Ebene versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,248 in Ebene versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,765 in Ebene versus $3,082 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 45% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.69 MUR 313

$11.94 MX$208

-43.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.94 MUR 1,542

$42.75 MX$743

-22.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 MUR 305

$10.59 MX$184

-38.43%

Cappuccino

$2.69 MUR 126

$3.62 MX$63.0

-25.69%

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

$0.91 MUR 42.76

$1.47 MX$25.51

-38.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MUR 26.76

$0.94 MX$16.39

-39.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 MUR 86.4

$3.09 MX$53.8

-40.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MUR 125

$4.46 MX$77.5

-40.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 MUR 72.7

$1.43 MX$24.77

8.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 MUR 32.42

$1.88 MX$32.75

-63.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 MUR 59.4

$1.63 MX$28.31

-22.09%

Eggs

$2.24 MUR 105

$2.64 MX$45.94

-15.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 MUR 422

$8.21 MX$143

9.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.02 MUR 282

$8.29 MX$144

-27.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 MUR 516

$11.10 MX$193

-0.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 MUR 83.3

$2.65 MX$46.08

-32.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 MUR 60.1

$1.50 MX$26.08

-14.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 MUR 70.1

$1.99 MX$34.55

-24.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 MUR 126

$2.08 MX$36.09

29.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 MUR 44.32

$1.79 MX$31.08

-46.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 MUR 43.48

$2.18 MX$37.83

-57.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 MUR 39.62

$1.08 MX$18.71

-21.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MUR 26.43

$1.04 MX$18.02

-46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 MUR 273

$3.97 MX$69.0

46.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.65 MUR 405

$10.20 MX$177

-15.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MUR 78.6

$1.73 MX$30.01

-2.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 MUR 102

$2.50 MX$43.41

-12.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 MUR 42.91

$0.52 MX$9.01

76.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 MUR 209

$3.14 MX$54.6

42.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 MUR 127

$2.40 MX$41.75

12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.45 MUR 910

$3.09 MX$53.6

529.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MUR 68.8

$1.27 MX$22.13

15.75%

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

$36.1K MUR 1.7M

$30.9K MX$536.7K

16.92%

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

$29.3K MUR 1.4M

$23.3K MX$405.2K

25.80%

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

$49.93 MUR 2,337

$82.0 MX$1,425

-39.12%

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

$18.64 MUR 872

$22.45 MX$390

-16.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.93 MUR 1,541

$29.66 MX$515

11.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.47 MUR 1,379

$51.9 MX$901

-43.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 MUR 311

$18.67 MX$324

-64.38%

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 MUR 281

$4.97 MX$86.4

20.52%

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

$154 MUR 7,214

$198 MX$3,438

-22.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,965 MUR 185.6K

$5,273 MX$91.6K

-24.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.47 MUR 2,128

$36.34 MX$632

25.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.28 MUR 2,073

$40.05 MX$696

10.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.84 MUR 2,286

$79.9 MX$1,388

-38.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.97 MUR 2,339

$88.9 MX$1,545

-43.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$259 MUR 12.1K

$963 MX$16.7K

-73.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$153 MUR 7,178

$465 MX$8,077

-67.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 MUR 28.2K

$1,596 MX$27.7K

-62.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 MUR 20.5K

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-63.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,175 MUR 55.0K

$720 MX$12.5K

63.16%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $259 in Ebene and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ebene pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Ebene vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $251 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 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Ebene pays 63% more on average, 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: $259 in Ebene versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $154 in Ebene versus $198 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $731 in Ebene versus $1,287 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 76% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.