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 $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $455 in Abnub, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $723 in Abnub, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $991 in Abnub, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 184% more than Abnub, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Abnub are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Abnub 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$3.40 E£173

244.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$16.07 E£817

189.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$5.15 E£262

126.21%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$1.37 E£69.6

198.54%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.28 E£14.38

389.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.14 E£6.97

492.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$1.54 E£78.1

117.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.69 E£137

156.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$0.81 E£41.46

113.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$0.66 E£33.83

242.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$0.62 E£31.64

185.48%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$1.09 E£55.3

150.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$3.39 E£173

170.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$4.70 E£239

89.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$9.00 E£458

40.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$1.54 E£78.5

96.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$0.77 E£39.00

103.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$0.52 E£26.51

309.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$0.34 E£17.22

564.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$0.32 E£16.12

525.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$0.33 E£16.68

524.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.24 E£12.15

391.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.20 E£9.99

500.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$1.75 E£89.0

164.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$7.51 E£382

42.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$1.10 E£56.0

47.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$2.27 E£115

26.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.20 E£10.41

185.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$0.35 E£17.99

1457.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.24 E£12.36

1441.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$1.61 E£81.7

271.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$0.42 E£21.48

269.05%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$37.1K E£1.9M

-39.80%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$29.9K E£1.5M

-13.26%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$19.46 E£990

358.02%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$7.83 E£398

219.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$15.12 E£769

108.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$16.23 E£826

317.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$3.00 E£153

68.33%

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

$225 MX$3,802

$95.9 E£4,881

134.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$2,086 E£106.1K

102.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$16.02 E£815

196.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$49.39 E£2,513

-8.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$129 E£6,544

-36.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$45.98 E£2,340

100.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$159 E£8,078

573.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

$85.3 E£4,341

375.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$263 E£13.4K

634.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$153 E£7,793

749.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$700 E£35.6K

471.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$438 E£22.3K

1411.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

16.21

-29.36%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Abnub: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $159 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in Abnub. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $128 – 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 184%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $682 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 $47.00 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 116% 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 $455, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. 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.