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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $457 in Abnub, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $743 in Abnub, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,029 in Abnub, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 175% more than Abnub, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Abnub are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Abnub 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$3.60 E£184

233.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$15.65 E£799

166.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.53 E£231

137.31%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.45 E£73.8

141.38%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.29 E£14.74

400.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.10 E£5.09

780.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.16 E£59.0

154.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.93 E£150

53.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.90 E£45.89

58.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.63 E£32.05

192.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.67 E£33.95

134.33%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.46 E£74.5

71.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$3.44 E£176

140.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.23 E£216

99.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$8.67 E£443

23.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.47 E£75.0

77.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.58 E£29.36

148.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.40 E£20.17

390.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.39 E£20.00

435.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.37 E£19.10

400.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.40 E£20.48

442.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.24 E£12.32

329.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.19 E£9.73

463.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.93 E£98.3

112.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$7.07 E£361

43.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.34 E£68.6

25.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.79 E£91.6

41.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.20 E£10.27

155.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.42 E£21.40

669.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.31 E£15.87

677.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.03 E£103

59.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.31 E£15.70

325.81%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$36.1K E£1.8M

-17.83%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$33.0K E£1.7M

-28.21%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$11.93 E£609

587.43%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$6.32 E£323

263.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$10.82 E£552

178.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$22.11 E£1,129

135.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$2.92 E£149

70.55%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$88.6 E£4,522

122.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$1,874 E£95.7K

184.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$27.60 E£1,409

28.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$49.19 E£2,511

-18.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$110 E£5,623

-28.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$51.0 E£2,604

74.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$191 E£9,742

396.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$97.7 E£4,987

385.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$306 E£15.6K

437.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$179 E£9,132

576.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$890 E£45.4K

355.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$469 E£23.9K

1280.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Abnub: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $191 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 175%, 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $686 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 $457, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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.