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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $806 in Assela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,237 in Assela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,669 in Assela.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 61% more expensive than Assela, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Assela 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$4.60 ETB 725

155.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$35.67 ETB 5,622

16.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.32 ETB 996

68.35%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.29 ETB 203

172.87%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.64 ETB 101

135.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.43 ETB 68.3

125.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$0.98 ETB 154

201.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.93 ETB 462

51.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.44 ETB 228

-4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.32 ETB 209

43.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$2.17 ETB 343

-24.42%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.46 ETB 388

2.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.00 ETB 1,104

19.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$13.87 ETB 2,185

-39.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$13.40 ETB 2,112

-19.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$6.84 ETB 1,078

-61.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.03 ETB 162

41.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.19 ETB 345

-13.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$0.97 ETB 153

114.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.63 ETB 99.6

182.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.88 ETB 296

16.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.70 ETB 110

48.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.69 ETB 108

56.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.03 ETB 636

1.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$5.70 ETB 899

81.05%

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

$1.84 ETB 290

40.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.45 ETB 228

124.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.27 ETB 42.53

822.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$1.98 ETB 312

64.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.29 ETB 204

1.55%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$55.2K ETB 8.7M

-45.10%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$54.6K ETB 8.6M

-57.06%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$159 ETB 25.0K

-47.81%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$11.83 ETB 1,864

87.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$131 ETB 20.6K

-77.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$5.77 ETB 910

-12.13%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$79.9 ETB 12.6K

151.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$41.0K ETB 6.5M

-87.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$46.94 ETB 7,398

-21.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$75.1 ETB 11.8K

-47.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$94.1 ETB 14.8K

-16.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$115 ETB 18.1K

-24.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

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 Assela: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $36.00 in Assela. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $268, 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 Assela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Assela is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,208 in Assela to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $79.9 in Assela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Assela – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $806 in Assela versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Assela but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Assela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Assela is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Assela are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Assela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.