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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $977 in Abra Pampa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,575 in Abra Pampa, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,174 in Abra Pampa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 30% 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 5% lower, Abra Pampa 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$10.43 ARS 14.9K

13.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$34.34 ARS 49.1K

24.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.83 ARS 12.6K

20.61%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.69 ARS 3,844

28.25%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.64 ARS 2,338

-8.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$1.55 ARS 2,217

-38.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.14 ARS 3,057

41.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.07 ARS 4,385

50.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.27 ARS 1,814

8.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.62 ARS 2,312

14.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.03 ARS 2,898

-20.69%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.18 ARS 3,117

18.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.05 ARS 14.3K

-17.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.07 ARS 8,671

37.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.48 ARS 13.5K

12.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.94 ARS 2,778

35.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.14 ARS 3,051

-30.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.31 ARS 1,872

46.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.51 ARS 3,586

-16.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.19 ARS 1,704

56.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.20 ARS 1,712

88.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.25 ARS 1,791

-15.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.43 ARS 2,050

-23.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.10 ARS 4,423

33.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$4.53 ARS 6,473

129.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.99 ARS 2,840

-13.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.14 ARS 4,479

-16.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.81 ARS 1,160

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.49 ARS 2,126

110.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.86 ARS 1,222

191.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.98 ARS 8,537

-47.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.06 ARS 1,511

19.81%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$27.0K ARS 38.6M

12.39%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$30.1K ARS 43.0M

-21.71%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$68.1 ARS 97.3K

21.90%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$16.90 ARS 24.1K

34.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$22.78 ARS 32.5K

29.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$26.03 ARS 37.2K

95.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$13.58 ARS 19.4K

34.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.38 ARS 9,116

-22.73%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$219 ARS 312.7K

-9.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$2,712 ARS 3.9M

94.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$74.0 ARS 105.7K

-50.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$70.6 ARS 100.9K

-43.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$114 ARS 163.0K

-29.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$113 ARS 161.9K

-21.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$333 ARS 476.2K

186.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$235 ARS 335.7K

103.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$679 ARS 969.4K

142.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$537 ARS 767.6K

127.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,800 ARS 2.6M

117.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

58.5

-80.48%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Abra Pampa: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $333 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $34.00 in Abra Pampa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $228 – 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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $977 in Abra Pampa – roughly 30% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,465 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $977 in Abra Pampa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $219 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 $977, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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 $977 in Abra Pampa to $1,271 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.