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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,383 in Addis Ababa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,083 in Addis Ababa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,783 in Addis Ababa.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 6% less than in Addis Ababa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Addis Ababa is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$4.55 ETB 718

157.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$35.04 ETB 5,522

18.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.41 ETB 1,010

65.99%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.24 ETB 196

183.87%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.69 ETB 109

118.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.43 ETB 67.7

125.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$0.99 ETB 156

197.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.97 ETB 468

49.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.44 ETB 228

-4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.33 ETB 210

42.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$2.17 ETB 343

-24.42%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.43 ETB 383

3.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.29 ETB 1,148

14.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$13.73 ETB 2,164

-39.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$13.09 ETB 2,063

-18.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$6.68 ETB 1,053

-61.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$0.98 ETB 154

48.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.19 ETB 345

-13.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$0.99 ETB 157

110.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.68 ETB 107

161.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.81 ETB 286

20.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.68 ETB 108

52.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.64 ETB 101

68.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.02 ETB 633

1.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$5.77 ETB 909

78.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$0.99 ETB 156

72.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.89 ETB 298

36.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.43 ETB 67.9

18.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$12.21 ETB 1,925

116.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.48 ETB 234

120.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.27 ETB 42.16

822.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$2.05 ETB 323

58.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.24 ETB 195

5.65%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$55.4K ETB 8.7M

-45.37%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$54.0K ETB 8.5M

-56.62%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$157 ETB 24.8K

-47.27%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$12.11 ETB 1,908

83.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$129 ETB 20.3K

-77.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$69.5 ETB 11.0K

-25.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$36.71 ETB 5,786

-50.10%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$5.86 ETB 923

-13.48%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$81.1 ETB 12.8K

147.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$41.1K ETB 6.5M

-87.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$46.81 ETB 7,377

-21.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$74.1 ETB 11.7K

-46.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$93.3 ETB 14.7K

-15.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$115 ETB 18.2K

-24.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$758 ETB 119.5K

28.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$495 ETB 78.0K

-5.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,819 ETB 286.7K

-9.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$890 ETB 140.2K

37.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,981 ETB 312.2K

99.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,009 ETB 159.0K

544.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$206 ETB 32.5K

221.67%

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 2, 2026

Last update for Addis Ababa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $758 in Addis Ababa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 222% 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 $35.00 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 7% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $1,383 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 222% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $758 in Addis Ababa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,383 in Addis Ababa – a 7% 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 117% less than in Addis Ababa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,383 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 7% less than in Addis Ababa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.