Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Adama Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Adama

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,113 in Adama, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,782 in Adama, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,451 in Adama, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 14% more than Adama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Adama are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Adama 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.03 ETB 480

291.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$34.50 ETB 5,468

24.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.10 ETB 808

108.82%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.27 ETB 202

171.65%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.69 ETB 109

117.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.31 ETB 49.29

206.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$0.99 ETB 156

206.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.02 ETB 478

52.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.45 ETB 231

-4.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.35 ETB 214

37.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.12 ETB 336

-24.06%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.41 ETB 382

7.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.22 ETB 1,145

14.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$14.10 ETB 2,235

-40.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$13.43 ETB 2,129

-20.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$6.75 ETB 1,070

-61.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.96 ETB 152

55.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.19 ETB 347

-12.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.98 ETB 156

113.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.67 ETB 107

177.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.89 ETB 300

19.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.69 ETB 109

53.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.63 ETB 99.8

73.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.93 ETB 623

5.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.53 ETB 876

87.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.04 ETB 165

65.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.89 ETB 300

38.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.44 ETB 228

117.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.29 ETB 46.09

765.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.05 ETB 324

53.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.29 ETB 205

-1.55%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$54.7K ETB 8.7M

-44.44%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$54.7K ETB 8.7M

-56.95%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$162 ETB 25.6K

-48.66%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$11.84 ETB 1,877

91.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$129 ETB 20.4K

-77.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.63 ETB 893

-12.43%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$80.5 ETB 12.8K

145.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$40.5K ETB 6.4M

-86.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$46.44 ETB 7,361

-20.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$75.1 ETB 11.9K

-46.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$92.3 ETB 14.6K

-13.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$112 ETB 17.8K

-20.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$509 ETB 80.6K

87.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$302 ETB 47.9K

57.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,005 ETB 159.3K

63.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$791 ETB 125.4K

54.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$101 ETB 15.9K

563.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-32.82%

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 Adama: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $509 in Adama. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 564% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $34.00 in Adama. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $268 in Adama – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Adama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $1,113 in Adama – roughly 14% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,670 in Adama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Adama, 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $34.00 in Adama. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Adama, where all-in costs run around $1,113, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Adama 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 $1,113 in Adama to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Adama. 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.