Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Abnub

For one person, living is cheaper in Abnub: $433 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Abnub
🇪🇬 Egypt
$433
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Abnub

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Abnub actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $433 in Abnub, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Abnub $433

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $698 in Abnub, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,102
  • Abnub $698

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $962 in Abnub, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,000
  • Abnub $962

Playa del Carmen costs about 178% more than Abnub, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Abnub are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Abnub 68% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Abnub
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.86 MX$201
$3.87 E£206
180.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.21 MX$817
$15.16 E£809
191.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.76 MX$217
$4.76 E£254
147.06%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.0
$1.26 E£67.3
192.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 MX$24.79
$0.30 E£16.02
346.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 MX$15.24
$0.14 E£7.27
485.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.06 MX$56.6
$1.29 E£69.1
137.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.94 MX$91.2
$2.87 E£153
72.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Abnub
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$0.85 E£45.60
72.94%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$40.95
$0.70 E£37.44
217.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.48 MX$27.32
$0.60 E£31.79
146.67%
Eggs
$2.49 MX$45.99
$1.19 E£63.6
109.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.52 MX$139
$3.29 E£176
128.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.96 MX$147
$4.13 E£221
92.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.57 MX$232
$7.90 E£422
59.11%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.3
$1.45 E£77.4
91.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 MX$26.37
$0.64 E£34.16
123.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.62 MX$48.37
$0.45 E£24.15
482.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.49
$0.33 E£17.39
548.48%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.38
$0.32 E£16.87
531.25%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.74
$0.31 E£16.35
541.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.01
$0.27 E£14.42
322.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 MX$22.18
$0.21 E£11.39
471.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 MX$78.7
$1.85 E£98.8
130.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.02 MX$185
$6.30 E£337
59.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 MX$28.41
$1.24 E£66.2
24.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 MX$49.17
$1.95 E£104
36.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Abnub
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.53 MX$9.73
$0.18 E£9.35
194.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.51 MX$508
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.90 MX$90.6
$0.37 E£19.52
1224.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.43 MX$63.5
$0.17 E£8.90
1917.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.38 MX$99.4
$1.20 E£64.1
348.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 MX$26.76
$0.45 E£24.28
222.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$391.0K
$31.6K E£1.7M
-32.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.0K MX$425.3K
$24.5K E£1.3M
-5.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Abnub
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$85.4 MX$1,577
$15.19 E£811
461.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.46 MX$434
$7.02 E£375
234.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.43 MX$525
$13.38 E£714
112.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Abnub
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$62.2 MX$1,149
$15.85 E£846
292.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.68 MX$530
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.10 MX$94.3
$2.83 E£151
80.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Abnub
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 MX$3,715
$85.9 E£4,589
133.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,947 MX$72.9K
$1,909 E£102.0K
106.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Abnub
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.39 MX$820
$17.43 E£931
154.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.35 MX$764
$45.05 E£2,406
-8.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.7 MX$1,344
$114 E£6,081
-36.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.6 MX$1,656
$56.4 E£3,014
58.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Abnub
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$979 MX$18.1K
$130 E£6,967
650.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$373 MX$6,887
$75.8 E£4,047
391.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,681 MX$31.1K
$253 E£13.5K
564.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,095 MX$20.2K
$142 E£7,595
669.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,949 MX$73.0K
$754 E£40.3K
423.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,137 MX$113.4K
$355 E£19.0K
1628.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Abnub
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$738 MX$13.6K
-
-
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: October 17, 2026

Last update for Abnub: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$373
Abnub
$76 79.7% $297
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Abnub
$119 53.8% $139
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Abnub
$74 62.9% $126
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Abnub
$36 74.1% $102
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Abnub
$105 6.2% $6.9
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$72
Abnub
$22 70.3% $51
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$52
Abnub
$1.9 * 96.3% $50

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $130 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 $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $15.00 in Abnub. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $119 – making Abnub the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇪🇬 Abnub
🕒 Local time
07:33 7:33 AM
15:33 3:33 PM
8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
111,785
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Abnub 11,500 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Abnub

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Is Abnub cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 178%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $650 in Abnub. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Is eating out cheaper in Playa del Carmen or in Abnub?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen and $15.00 in Abnub. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Abnub?
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.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Abnub?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Abnub, where all-in costs run around $433, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Abnub it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Abnub more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
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.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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