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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $973 in Abra Pampa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,587 in Abra Pampa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,201 in Abra Pampa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 32% 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 4% lower, Abra Pampa 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$10.59 ARS 14.9K

12.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$34.18 ARS 48.1K

25.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$8.78 ARS 12.4K

20.62%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.80 ARS 3,942

29.29%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.70 ARS 2,395

-13.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$1.54 ARS 2,169

-38.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$2.07 ARS 2,911

49.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$3.01 ARS 4,241

48.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.25 ARS 1,762

14.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.57 ARS 2,216

19.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.97 ARS 2,771

-17.26%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.18 ARS 3,076

21.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$10.05 ARS 14.1K

-18.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$6.03 ARS 8,484

37.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$9.42 ARS 13.3K

17.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$1.97 ARS 2,775

34.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$2.11 ARS 2,977

-28.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.31 ARS 1,847

51.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$2.65 ARS 3,730

-21.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.14 ARS 1,600

57.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.25 ARS 1,761

74.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.28 ARS 1,802

-15.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$1.43 ARS 2,012

-27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$3.21 ARS 4,514

23.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$5.14 ARS 7,237

98.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$2.09 ARS 2,940

-17.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$3.17 ARS 4,470

-21.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.83 ARS 1,173

-37.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.52 ARS 2,136

106.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.87 ARS 1,220

175.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$5.93 ARS 8,351

-47.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.10 ARS 1,554

15.45%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$27.6K ARS 38.8M

12.01%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$30.4K ARS 42.8M

-23.32%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$66.6 ARS 93.8K

23.16%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$17.25 ARS 24.3K

30.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$22.41 ARS 31.6K

32.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$26.22 ARS 36.9K

97.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$13.98 ARS 19.7K

33.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$6.33 ARS 8,910

-21.48%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$217 ARS 306.2K

-9.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$2,708 ARS 3.8M

94.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$72.8 ARS 102.6K

-50.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$68.2 ARS 96.1K

-41.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$113 ARS 159.7K

-29.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$111 ARS 156.5K

-20.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$336 ARS 472.8K

186.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$242 ARS 340.7K

92.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$683 ARS 962.2K

133.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$545 ARS 766.9K

121.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$2,034 ARS 2.9M

93.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Abra Pampa: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $336 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: $251 vs $230 – 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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, $973 in Abra Pampa – roughly 32% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,460 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $973 in Abra Pampa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $217 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 $973, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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 $973 in Abra Pampa to $1,287 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.