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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $605 in Abalessa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $979 in Abalessa, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,352 in Abalessa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 108% 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

$11.72 MX$203

$3.17 DZD 419

269.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$23.39 DZD 3,093

79.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$4.01 DZD 531

162.09%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$0.77 DZD 102

366.23%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.60 DZD 79.4

151.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.23 DZD 30.44

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.00 DZD 265

48.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.40 DZD 317

83.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.02 DZD 135

37.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.14 DZD 18.11

1242.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.63 DZD 215

-4.29%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.85 DZD 245

41.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$8.90 DZD 1,177

-6.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.33 DZD 705

56.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$16.70 DZD 2,208

-34.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$3.17 DZD 419

-14.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.84 DZD 375

-46.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.69 DZD 224

10.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.79 DZD 105

177.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.56 DZD 73.6

232.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.46 DZD 60.8

384.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.60 DZD 79.9

78.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.30 DZD 39.99

263.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.70 DZD 357

55.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$7.75 DZD 1,025

34.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.29 DZD 171

28.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.06 DZD 272

26.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.25 DZD 33.18

116.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$17.44 DZD 2,306

50.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.70 DZD 93.1

340.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.33 DZD 44.04

627.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$5.17 DZD 684

-39.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.34 DZD 44.47

285.29%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$31.8K DZD 4.2M

-6.30%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$33.0K DZD 4.4M

-29.42%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$41.10 DZD 5,434

97.76%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$9.58 DZD 1,267

135.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$17.10 DZD 2,260

75.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$23.35 DZD 3,087

126.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$5.49 DZD 726

-10.38%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$92.3 DZD 12.2K

117.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,658 DZD 483.6K

41.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$37.02 DZD 4,895

-2.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$45.41 DZD 6,005

-11.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$76.4 DZD 10.1K

4.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$78.3 DZD 10.3K

10.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$194 DZD 25.6K

404.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$114 DZD 15.0K

314.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$274 DZD 36.3K

502.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$185 DZD 24.5K

548.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$990 DZD 130.9K

299.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,211 DZD 160.2K

445.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Abalessa: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $23.00 in Abalessa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 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 108% 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $908 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $23.00 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 $605, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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 $605 versus $1,260 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.