Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Addis Ababa Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Addis Ababa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,429 in Addis Ababa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,079 in Addis Ababa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,730 in Addis Ababa.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 12% less than in Addis Ababa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Addis Ababa is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$4.44 ETB 704

170.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$731

$35.55 ETB 5,634

17.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$188

$6.67 ETB 1,058

61.17%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.1

$1.30 ETB 206

169.23%

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

$1.45 MX$25.33

$0.63 ETB 100

130.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.47

$0.43 ETB 68.4

104.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.6

$0.97 ETB 154

204.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.9

$2.93 ETB 465

53.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.04

$1.46 ETB 231

-2.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.13

$1.33 ETB 211

38.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.42

$2.15 ETB 341

-26.98%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.92

$2.40 ETB 380

4.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$7.12 ETB 1,128

16.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$13.71 ETB 2,173

-38.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$13.07 ETB 2,071

-18.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.62

$6.66 ETB 1,055

-60.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.15

$1.04 ETB 165

38.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.31

$2.19 ETB 348

-10.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.62

$0.98 ETB 155

113.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.37

$0.63 ETB 99.9

193.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.90

$1.91 ETB 303

13.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.04

$0.66 ETB 105

56.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.78

$0.68 ETB 108

57.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.7

$3.97 ETB 629

3.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$5.68 ETB 901

79.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.29

$1.04 ETB 164

61.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.17

$1.83 ETB 290

38.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.44 ETB 69.8

15.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$455

$12.19 ETB 1,932

113.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$1.43 ETB 226

125.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.06

$0.29 ETB 46.37

731.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$2.04 ETB 323

58.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.10

$1.25 ETB 198

5.60%

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

$29.7K MX$519.2K

$55.6K ETB 8.8M

-46.59%

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

$23.7K MX$413.7K

$54.3K ETB 8.6M

-56.43%

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

$82.0 MX$1,434

$163 ETB 25.8K

-49.56%

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

$22.95 MX$401

$12.23 ETB 1,938

87.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$527

$129 ETB 20.5K

-76.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$909

$69.4 ETB 11.0K

-25.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$324

$36.29 ETB 5,752

-48.94%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.0

$5.82 ETB 923

-14.43%

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

$197 MX$3,452

$80.5 ETB 12.8K

145.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.3K

$40.0K ETB 6.3M

-86.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$622

$47.75 ETB 7,568

-25.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$705

$74.4 ETB 11.8K

-45.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,377

$91.4 ETB 14.5K

-13.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$116 ETB 18.4K

-23.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$732 ETB 116.0K

29.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,288

$511 ETB 81.1K

-7.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.7K

$1,816 ETB 287.9K

-9.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$885 ETB 140.3K

36.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.9K

$1,969 ETB 312.1K

105.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.1K

$992 ETB 157.2K

552.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$200 ETB 31.7K

226.44%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Addis Ababa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $732 in Addis Ababa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 226% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $36.00 in Addis Ababa. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $265, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Addis Ababa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Addis Ababa differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $1,429 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 226% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $732 in Addis Ababa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,429 in Addis Ababa – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 114% less than in Addis Ababa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,429 in Addis Ababa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Addis Ababa. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Addis Ababa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.