Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Abra Pampa Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Abra Pampa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,189 in Abra Pampa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,336 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,936 in Abra Pampa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,341 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,683 in Abra Pampa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 12% more than Abra Pampa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Abra Pampa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Abra Pampa 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$16.70 ARS 25.0K

-22.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$43.38 ARS 64.9K

6.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$11.87 ARS 17.8K

6.07%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$4.06 ARS 6,082

-1.48%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$2.18 ARS 3,269

-34.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$1.66 ARS 2,485

-51.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$4.29 ARS 6,429

-28.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$4.70 ARS 7,041

45.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.42 ARS 2,126

20.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$2.43 ARS 3,636

-8.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.51 ARS 2,256

13.91%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$2.67 ARS 3,990

1.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$8.86 ARS 13.3K

5.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$7.30 ARS 10.9K

21.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$11.33 ARS 17.0K

12.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$2.41 ARS 3,603

29.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$2.16 ARS 3,233

-28.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$1.37 ARS 2,045

56.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$2.18 ARS 3,269

7.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$0.91 ARS 1,357

121.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$0.93 ARS 1,392

113.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$1.42 ARS 2,132

-12.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$1.47 ARS 2,197

-19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$2.76 ARS 4,137

68.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$4.29 ARS 6,420

144.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$1.61 ARS 2,404

-1.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$3.14 ARS 4,702

-7.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$1.08 ARS 1,610

-48.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$1.59 ARS 2,388

234.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$1.14 ARS 1,706

226.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$6.39 ARS 9,559

-9.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.15 ARS 1,723

34.78%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$23.3K ARS 34.9M

-3.94%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$32.9K ARS 49.3M

-22.28%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$93.4 ARS 139.9K

-4.44%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$18.41 ARS 27.6K

26.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$22.25 ARS 33.3K

42.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$32.26 ARS 48.3K

113.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$7.66 ARS 11.5K

-33.94%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$283 ARS 424.1K

-21.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$3,608 ARS 5.4M

18.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$93.4 ARS 139.9K

-50.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$62.1 ARS 93.0K

-28.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$134 ARS 200.4K

-28.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$134 ARS 200.6K

-30.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$520 ARS 778.4K

105.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$300 ARS 448.6K

31.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$1,044 ARS 1.6M

90.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$699 ARS 1.0M

86.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$2,371 ARS 3.5M

70.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$1,487 ARS 2.2M

345.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

54.72

-78.80%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Abra Pampa: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $520 in Abra Pampa. 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 $46.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $43.00 in Abra Pampa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $244 – making Abra Pampa 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 Abra Pampa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen, $1,189 in Abra Pampa – roughly 12% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,995 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,784 in Abra Pampa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,330 in Playa del Carmen and $1,189 in Abra Pampa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $222 per month in Playa del Carmen and $283 in Abra Pampa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Abra Pampa, where all-in costs run around $1,189, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,330. In Abra Pampa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,189 in Abra Pampa to $1,330 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Abra Pampa. 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.