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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $460 in Abnub, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $748 in Abnub, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,036 in Abnub, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 182% more than Abnub, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Abnub are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Abnub 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.46 E£179

239.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$719

$15.54 E£804

167.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.60 E£238

131.30%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.8

$1.44 E£74.6

144.44%

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

$1.51 MX$26.09

$0.31 E£16.28

387.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.82

$0.12 E£6.40

708.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.17 E£60.7

152.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.04 E£157

46.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$0.85 E£44.13

62.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.69

$0.57 E£29.61

231.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.29

$0.71 E£36.76

130.99%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.30

$1.38 E£71.3

81.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.44 E£178

142.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.38 E£227

90.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$185

$8.83 E£457

21.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.00

$1.43 E£74.0

81.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.18

$0.54 E£27.86

170.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.84

$0.39 E£20.30

387.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.88

$0.40 E£20.58

420.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.68

$0.40 E£20.79

345.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.76

$0.41 E£20.97

434.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.97

$0.22 E£11.33

372.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.22 E£11.13

390.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.5

$1.93 E£100

111.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$6.98 E£361

47.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.59

$1.34 E£69.4

27.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.50

$1.88 E£97.4

37.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.17 E£8.93

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.38 E£19.76

757.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.05

$0.31 E£16.23

703.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.93 E£99.9

68.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.59

$0.33 E£17.21

296.97%

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

$30.3K MX$523.2K

$35.5K E£1.8M

-14.66%

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

$23.4K MX$404.9K

$33.4K E£1.7M

-29.88%

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

$82.9 MX$1,432

$11.99 E£621

591.16%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$6.26 E£324

254.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$10.74 E£556

173.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$892

$22.14 E£1,146

133.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.5

$2.87 E£149

76.66%

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

$201 MX$3,470

$90.2 E£4,669

122.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$1,819 E£94.1K

186.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$638

$27.24 E£1,410

35.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$49.12 E£2,543

-18.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,356

$107 E£5,526

-26.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,505

$49.91 E£2,584

74.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$192 E£9,961

405.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,082

$98.4 E£5,093

375.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$315 E£16.3K

420.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$181 E£9,350

575.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.2K

$849 E£43.9K

364.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

$438 E£22.7K

1383.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

16.67

-31.49%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Abnub: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $192 in Abnub. 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 $16.00 in Abnub. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $125 – making Abnub 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 Abnub: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 182%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $691 in Abnub. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $16.00 in Abnub. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 99% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Abnub, where all-in costs run around $460, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Abnub it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Abnub – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Abnub. 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.