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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $546 in Abalessa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $871 in Abalessa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,195 in Abalessa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 132% more than Abalessa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Abalessa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Abalessa 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$2.98 DZD 398

289.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$18.82 DZD 2,510

150.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$3.99 DZD 532

197.74%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$0.70 DZD 93.4

468.57%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$0.55 DZD 73.7

160.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.29 DZD 38.77

182.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$1.55 DZD 207

105.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.30 DZD 307

195.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$0.84 DZD 111

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.14 DZD 18.27

1471.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.00 DZD 133

71.00%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$1.46 DZD 194

87.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$8.87 DZD 1,183

8.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.52 DZD 470

155.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$15.44 DZD 2,059

-17.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$1.83 DZD 244

57.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.54 DZD 338

-40.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.21 DZD 162

77.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$0.92 DZD 123

145.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.71 DZD 94.4

178.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.52 DZD 69.4

282.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.74 DZD 99.2

66.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.26 DZD 34.64

361.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$2.51 DZD 335

81.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$6.91 DZD 922

50.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.10 DZD 147

47.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$1.90 DZD 253

51.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.19 DZD 25.50

215.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$6.42 DZD 857

348.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$0.52 DZD 69.9

936.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$0.43 DZD 57.7

767.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$5.77 DZD 770

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$0.37 DZD 49.96

316.22%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$34.7K DZD 4.6M

-34.96%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$31.9K DZD 4.3M

-18.25%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$35.98 DZD 4,799

153.97%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$9.95 DZD 1,327

153.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$11.61 DZD 1,549

169.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$20.94 DZD 2,793

220.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$4.30 DZD 573

13.02%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$104 DZD 13.9K

114.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$2,988 DZD 398.4K

41.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$30.32 DZD 4,044

55.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$37.08 DZD 4,945

19.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$65.1 DZD 8,680

23.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$77.3 DZD 10.3K

19.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$168 DZD 22.4K

533.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$102 DZD 13.7K

281.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$275 DZD 36.7K

681.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$207 DZD 27.5K

516.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$1,185 DZD 158.0K

237.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.3

116.04%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Abalessa: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $168 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $19.00 in Abalessa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $176 – 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 132% 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $820 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 56% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $19.00 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 $546, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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 $546 versus $1,266 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.