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: $714 in Ebene versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,216 in Ebene versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,718 in Ebene versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ebene costs roughly 44% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ebene 48% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.74 MUR 271

$11.60 MX$200

-50.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.23 MUR 1,519

$47.11 MX$812

-31.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.29 MUR 296

$11.88 MX$205

-47.05%

Cappuccino

$2.70 MUR 127

$3.98 MX$68.6

-32.16%

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

$0.90 MUR 42.45

$1.43 MX$24.60

-37.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 MUR 25.50

$0.82 MX$14.22

-34.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 MUR 83.3

$3.19 MX$55.0

-44.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 MUR 121

$6.79 MX$117

-62.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MUR 69.3

$1.68 MX$28.89

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 MUR 35.27

$2.20 MX$37.88

-65.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 MUR 51.8

$1.71 MX$29.45

-35.67%

Eggs

$2.20 MUR 104

$2.74 MX$47.26

-19.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.62 MUR 406

$9.58 MX$165

-10.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.50 MUR 307

$9.01 MX$155

-27.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.52 MUR 496

$12.81 MX$221

-17.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 MUR 85.2

$2.89 MX$49.81

-37.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 MUR 56.2

$1.50 MX$25.81

-20.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 MUR 68.4

$2.15 MX$37.03

-32.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 MUR 121

$2.26 MX$38.96

13.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 MUR 45.60

$1.98 MX$34.15

-51.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 MUR 48.25

$1.99 MX$34.30

-48.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 MUR 32.69

$1.23 MX$21.28

-43.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MUR 24.39

$1.20 MX$20.63

-56.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 MUR 263

$4.55 MX$78.5

22.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.41 MUR 396

$10.37 MX$179

-18.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MUR 77.8

$1.62 MX$27.91

1.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MUR 125

$2.88 MX$49.67

-7.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 MUR 41.22

$0.60 MX$10.35

45.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 MUR 195

$5.39 MX$92.9

-23.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 MUR 146

$3.73 MX$64.3

-16.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.19 MUR 999

$5.77 MX$99.5

267.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MUR 62.2

$1.54 MX$26.48

-14.29%

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

$36.6K MUR 1.7M

$22.5K MX$388.8K

62.42%

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

$31.6K MUR 1.5M

$26.1K MX$449.3K

21.33%

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

$45.28 MUR 2,134

$91.4 MX$1,576

-50.45%

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

$10.68 MUR 503

$25.20 MX$435

-57.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.17 MUR 1,375

$31.24 MX$539

-6.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.29 MUR 1,333

$67.2 MX$1,159

-57.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.23 MUR 294

$29.11 MX$502

-78.60%

Cinema Ticket

$5.82 MUR 275

$4.86 MX$83.8

19.75%

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

$126 MUR 5,956

$224 MX$3,856

-43.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,564 MUR 356.5K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

78.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.59 MUR 2,102

$47.10 MX$812

-5.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.23 MUR 1,990

$44.29 MX$764

-4.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.63 MUR 2,245

$80.1 MX$1,381

-40.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.07 MUR 2,218

$92.7 MX$1,598

-49.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$255 MUR 12.0K

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-75.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 MUR 7,028

$390 MX$6,728

-61.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 MUR 27.2K

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-73.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 MUR 20.2K

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-66.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,181 MUR 55.7K

$758 MX$13.1K

55.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.45

-41.75%

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

Last update for Ebene: September 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $255 in Ebene and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ebene pays 56% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ebene vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $276 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, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 56% 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: $255 in Ebene versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $126 in Ebene versus $224 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 $32.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $714 in Ebene versus $1,266 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 77% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.