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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $962 in Abaza.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,471 in Abaza.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,979 in Abaza.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 34% more expensive than Abaza, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Abaza 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$9.41 ₽707

26.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$38.29 ₽2,876

11.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.69 ₽427

86.12%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.35 ₽177

54.04%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.08 ₽80.8

36.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.52 ₽39.24

80.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.38 ₽103

123.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.60 ₽196

71.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.55 ₽41.43

160.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.67 ₽50.0

180.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.42 ₽106

14.79%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.77 ₽133

49.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$10.97 ₽824

-25.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.94 ₽371

67.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$8.64 ₽649

28.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.79 ₽134

48.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.88 ₽141

-20.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.00 ₽150

-0.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.71 ₽204

-23.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.79 ₽59.4

126.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.71 ₽53.7

207.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.35 ₽101

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.67 ₽50.6

55.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.88 ₽217

37.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$8.58 ₽644

18.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$0.94 ₽70.4

84.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.91 ₽144

30.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.50 ₽37.46

4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.94 ₽145

61.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.32 ₽24.37

650.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.40 ₽481

-51.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.73 ₽55.0

73.97%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$33.6K ₽2.5M

-8.12%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$35.8K ₽2.7M

-34.90%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$110 ₽8,246

-25.30%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$5.89 ₽442

281.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$7.77 ₽583

281.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$36.02 ₽2,706

44.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.21 ₽392

-4.61%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$318 ₽23.9K

-37.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$7,054 ₽529.8K

-25.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$69.6 ₽5,229

-47.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$45.22 ₽3,396

-11.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$113 ₽8,450

-29.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$107 ₽8,037

-16.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$441 ₽33.1K

118.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$299 ₽22.4K

55.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$760 ₽57.1K

110.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$501 ₽37.6K

141.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,162 ₽162.4K

82.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,475 ₽110.8K

337.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$1,297 ₽97.4K

-44.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

15.33

-25.51%

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 Abaza: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $441 in Abaza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abaza pays 80% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $38.00 in Abaza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $193 per month, with Abaza 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

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

Abaza is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Abaza earns 80% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $441 in Abaza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $318 in Abaza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Abaza – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $962 in Abaza versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Abaza but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Abaza the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Abaza 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.

Expats usually find Abaza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.