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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $603 in Abalessa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $976 in Abalessa, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,349 in Abalessa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 111% more than Abalessa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Abalessa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Abalessa 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.15 DZD 418

276.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$24.02 DZD 3,184

78.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$3.93 DZD 521

170.99%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$0.72 DZD 95.6

379.17%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.61 DZD 81.1

145.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.21 DZD 27.83

352.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.99 DZD 263

52.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.40 DZD 318

92.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.00 DZD 132

38.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.15 DZD 19.83

1133.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.57 DZD 208

2.55%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.87 DZD 248

38.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$9.20 DZD 1,220

-10.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.32 DZD 706

57.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$16.59 DZD 2,199

-35.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.23 DZD 428

-18.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.82 DZD 373

-47.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.72 DZD 227

11.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.80 DZD 106

161.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.55 DZD 72.7

238.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.49 DZD 65.5

361.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.62 DZD 81.8

70.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.30 DZD 40.09

263.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.77 DZD 367

49.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$7.13 DZD 945

45.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.34 DZD 178

28.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.17 DZD 288

20.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.23 DZD 30.29

134.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$17.66 DZD 2,340

52.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.71 DZD 93.9

340.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.34 DZD 44.90

638.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.19 DZD 687

-39.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.34 DZD 45.04

273.53%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$32.1K DZD 4.3M

-5.29%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$33.4K DZD 4.4M

-29.52%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$40.75 DZD 5,401

103.68%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$9.56 DZD 1,267

137.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$17.12 DZD 2,269

72.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$23.47 DZD 3,111

117.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.44 DZD 721

-9.38%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$94.9 DZD 12.6K

107.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,616 DZD 479.2K

46.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$37.47 DZD 4,966

-1.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$44.80 DZD 5,937

-10.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$75.2 DZD 9,962

6.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$78.2 DZD 10.4K

14.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$194 DZD 25.7K

393.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$116 DZD 15.3K

312.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$277 DZD 36.7K

495.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$183 DZD 24.3K

567.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,113 DZD 147.5K

252.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,094 DZD 145.0K

490.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.42

110.70%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Abalessa: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $194 in Abalessa. 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $24.00 in Abalessa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $207 – making Abalessa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 111% more than Abalessa, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $904 in Abalessa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Abalessa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $24.00 in Abalessa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Abalessa, where all-in costs run around $603, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Abalessa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Abalessa costs $603 versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Abalessa. 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.