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: $734 in Ebene versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,266 in Ebene versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,798 in Ebene versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ebene costs roughly 42% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ebene 45% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.55 MUR 308

$11.87 MX$204

-44.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 MUR 1,541

$42.90 MX$736

-23.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.41 MUR 302

$10.65 MX$183

-39.81%

Cappuccino

$2.67 MUR 126

$3.45 MX$59.2

-22.61%

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

$0.92 MUR 43.12

$1.50 MX$25.81

-38.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 MUR 27.09

$0.95 MX$16.28

-38.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 MUR 90.5

$3.03 MX$51.9

-36.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 MUR 124

$4.61 MX$79.1

-42.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 MUR 71.4

$1.38 MX$23.61

10.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 MUR 31.34

$1.85 MX$31.70

-63.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 MUR 60.0

$1.61 MX$27.65

-21.12%

Eggs

$2.27 MUR 107

$2.59 MX$44.51

-12.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.69 MUR 409

$8.26 MX$142

5.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 MUR 291

$8.37 MX$144

-26.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 MUR 514

$10.66 MX$183

2.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 MUR 83.8

$2.63 MX$45.12

-32.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 MUR 57.9

$1.49 MX$25.53

-17.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 MUR 67.4

$1.92 MX$32.94

-25.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 MUR 124

$2.09 MX$35.81

25.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 MUR 47.65

$1.86 MX$31.88

-45.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 MUR 44.45

$2.26 MX$38.81

-58.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 MUR 37.70

$1.06 MX$18.23

-24.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MUR 25.34

$1.09 MX$18.67

-50.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 MUR 283

$4.15 MX$71.2

44.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 MUR 401

$10.39 MX$178

-18.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 MUR 79.9

$1.72 MX$29.59

-1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 MUR 106

$2.61 MX$44.85

-13.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 MUR 42.48

$0.54 MX$9.30

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.35 MUR 205

$3.13 MX$53.7

38.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 MUR 122

$2.51 MX$43.09

3.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.67 MUR 926

$3.15 MX$54.1

524.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MUR 68.5

$1.27 MX$21.88

14.96%

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

$36.1K MUR 1.7M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

18.82%

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

$29.3K MUR 1.4M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

24.14%

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

$49.80 MUR 2,345

$83.0 MX$1,425

-40.00%

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

$18.65 MUR 878

$22.71 MX$390

-17.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.81 MUR 1,592

$29.46 MX$506

14.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.66 MUR 1,397

$51.0 MX$875

-41.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.61 MUR 311

$18.33 MX$315

-63.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.16 MUR 290

$4.93 MX$84.5

24.95%

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

$156 MUR 7,345

$197 MX$3,386

-20.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,989 MUR 187.9K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-24.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.96 MUR 2,164

$36.90 MX$633

24.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.57 MUR 2,051

$39.89 MX$685

9.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.64 MUR 2,290

$80.0 MX$1,373

-39.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.2 MUR 2,366

$89.5 MX$1,536

-43.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 MUR 12.5K

$956 MX$16.4K

-72.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 MUR 7,363

$477 MX$8,189

-67.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$603 MUR 28.4K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-63.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$435 MUR 20.5K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-64.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,160 MUR 54.6K

$667 MX$11.4K

73.94%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $266 in Ebene and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ebene pays 74% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $250 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, Getting Around. The 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Ebene pays 74% 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: $266 in Ebene versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $156 in Ebene versus $197 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 $734 in Ebene versus $1,271 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 73% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.