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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,078 in Adama, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,761 in Adama, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,443 in Adama, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 17% 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 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$3.02 ETB 483

288.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$35.39 ETB 5,651

18.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$4.97 ETB 794

111.47%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.25 ETB 199

187.20%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.64 ETB 102

135.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.31 ETB 50.2

196.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$0.98 ETB 157

202.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.94 ETB 469

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.38 ETB 221

1.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.33 ETB 213

41.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.15 ETB 343

-27.44%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.50 ETB 399

4.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$6.94 ETB 1,109

19.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$14.03 ETB 2,241

-40.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$13.32 ETB 2,128

-18.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$6.70 ETB 1,070

-59.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.02 ETB 163

48.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$2.25 ETB 359

-16.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.97 ETB 154

125.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.68 ETB 108

173.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.84 ETB 294

21.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.64 ETB 102

67.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.64 ETB 102

70.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$3.89 ETB 622

7.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$5.66 ETB 903

84.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.00 ETB 160

66.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.82 ETB 291

43.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.50 ETB 240

105.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.29 ETB 46.69

727.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$1.97 ETB 315

58.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.29 ETB 206

1.55%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$54.7K ETB 8.7M

-45.52%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$53.5K ETB 8.5M

-56.38%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$158 ETB 25.3K

-48.65%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$12.11 ETB 1,934

86.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$132 ETB 21.1K

-77.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$5.64 ETB 900

-12.77%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$81.5 ETB 13.0K

146.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$40.5K ETB 6.5M

-87.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$47.27 ETB 7,549

-24.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$76.1 ETB 12.2K

-47.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$92.8 ETB 14.8K

-14.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$116 ETB 18.6K

-25.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$494 ETB 78.9K

97.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$304 ETB 48.6K

54.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$988 ETB 157.7K

67.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$794 ETB 126.8K

51.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$101 ETB 16.2K

566.70%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Adama: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $494 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 567% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $35.00 in Adama. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $266 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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, $1,078 in Adama – roughly 17% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,617 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $35.00 in Adama. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% 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 $1,078, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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 $1,078 in Adama to $1,260 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.