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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,289 in Addis Ababa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,927 in Addis Ababa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,564 in Addis Ababa.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 2% less than in Addis Ababa, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Addis Ababa 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.02 ETB 646

188.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$43.13 ETB 6,928

9.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.64 ETB 1,067

78.92%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$0.95 ETB 153

318.95%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.59 ETB 94.5

142.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.64 ETB 103

28.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$0.81 ETB 130

293.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.29 ETB 368

196.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.09 ETB 175

54.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.21 ETB 194

81.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.20 ETB 354

-22.27%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.81 ETB 291

51.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$7.57 ETB 1,216

26.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$10.15 ETB 1,630

-11.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$9.29 ETB 1,493

37.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$5.48 ETB 881

-47.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.63 ETB 102

138.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.21 ETB 355

-2.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$0.69 ETB 111

227.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.50 ETB 80.2

296.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.06 ETB 170

87.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.64 ETB 103

92.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.61 ETB 98.3

96.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$8.18 ETB 1,314

-44.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$5.64 ETB 905

83.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$0.72 ETB 116

125.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.22 ETB 196

136.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.52 ETB 82.9

15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$20.71 ETB 3,326

39.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.30 ETB 209

314.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.27 ETB 43.30

1281.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$1.95 ETB 314

195.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.90 ETB 145

71.11%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$54.1K ETB 8.7M

-58.30%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$55.2K ETB 8.9M

-52.76%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$202 ETB 32.5K

-54.86%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$7.10 ETB 1,140

254.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$208 ETB 33.4K

-84.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$44.76 ETB 7,191

50.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$36.56 ETB 5,874

-20.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$3.66 ETB 588

32.79%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$139 ETB 22.3K

61.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$30.6K ETB 4.9M

-86.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$32.99 ETB 5,300

42.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$69.9 ETB 11.2K

-36.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$78.6 ETB 12.6K

1.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$82.5 ETB 13.2K

12.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$694 ETB 111.5K

53.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$393 ETB 63.2K

-0.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$2,237 ETB 359.4K

-3.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$770 ETB 123.8K

65.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,990 ETB 319.7K

101.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,023 ETB 164.3K

535.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$206 ETB 33.1K

267.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

18.5

-38.11%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Addis Ababa: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $694 in Addis Ababa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 268% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $43.00 in Addis Ababa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $215 per month, with Addis Ababa cheaper across the board.

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 2% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $1,289 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 268% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $694 in Addis Ababa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,289 in Addis Ababa – a 2% 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 39% less than in Addis Ababa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,289 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 2% less than in Addis Ababa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.