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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $618 in Abalessa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $989 in Abalessa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,360 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 4% lower, Abalessa 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$3.22 DZD 426

270.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$23.30 DZD 3,087

83.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$3.86 DZD 512

174.35%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$0.73 DZD 96.1

395.89%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.61 DZD 80.6

140.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.21 DZD 27.74

347.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.93 DZD 256

60.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.35 DZD 312

89.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.03 DZD 137

38.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.13 DZD 17.48

1346.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.57 DZD 208

3.82%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.87 DZD 248

41.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$9.09 DZD 1,204

-9.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.15 DZD 683

60.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$16.27 DZD 2,156

-31.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.17 DZD 420

-16.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.87 DZD 380

-47.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.73 DZD 229

15.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.80 DZD 107

160.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.59 DZD 77.6

203.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.46 DZD 61.3

373.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.60 DZD 79.4

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.28 DZD 36.87

271.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.80 DZD 371

41.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$7.03 DZD 931

45.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.35 DZD 178

28.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.10 DZD 278

19.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.25 DZD 33.18

108.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$17.12 DZD 2,268

57.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.65 DZD 85.9

383.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.34 DZD 44.89

605.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$5.17 DZD 685

-40.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.34 DZD 44.73

273.53%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$32.4K DZD 4.3M

-4.77%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$33.3K DZD 4.4M

-29.93%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$40.19 DZD 5,325

104.06%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$9.33 DZD 1,236

140.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$17.20 DZD 2,279

72.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$23.35 DZD 3,094

122.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.36 DZD 710

-7.28%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$94.8 DZD 12.6K

108.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$3,557 DZD 471.3K

48.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$36.23 DZD 4,801

0.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$44.80 DZD 5,936

-10.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$73.9 DZD 9,797

8.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$76.7 DZD 10.2K

15.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$193 DZD 25.6K

399.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$116 DZD 15.4K

299.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$276 DZD 36.6K

478.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$181 DZD 24.0K

566.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Abalessa: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $193 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 $23.00 in Abalessa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $205 – 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $926 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 23% 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 $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 $618, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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 $618 versus $1,287 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.