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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $817 in Assela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,242 in Assela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,667 in Assela.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 54% more expensive than in Assela, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Assela 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$4.59 ETB 727

161.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$35.32 ETB 5,599

18.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.54 ETB 1,036

64.37%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.30 ETB 205

169.23%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.69 ETB 110

110.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.47 ETB 74.2

87.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.01 ETB 160

192.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.08 ETB 488

46.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.38 ETB 219

3.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.32 ETB 210

39.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$2.12 ETB 336

-25.94%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.49 ETB 395

0.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$6.98 ETB 1,106

18.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$13.67 ETB 2,166

-38.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$13.17 ETB 2,087

-18.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$6.72 ETB 1,064

-61.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.02 ETB 161

41.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.27 ETB 360

-13.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.99 ETB 157

111.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.68 ETB 108

172.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.92 ETB 304

13.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.69 ETB 109

49.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.68 ETB 108

57.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.95 ETB 626

3.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$5.66 ETB 897

79.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$0.99 ETB 157

69.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.83 ETB 291

38.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.42 ETB 225

127.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.29 ETB 46.54

731.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.05 ETB 325

57.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.30 ETB 206

1.54%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$54.0K ETB 8.6M

-45.01%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$53.8K ETB 8.5M

-56.03%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$157 ETB 24.9K

-47.77%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$12.04 ETB 1,909

90.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$129 ETB 20.5K

-76.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$5.76 ETB 914

-13.54%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$80.2 ETB 12.7K

146.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$39.8K ETB 6.3M

-86.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$46.74 ETB 7,409

-23.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$73.9 ETB 11.7K

-45.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$94.5 ETB 15.0K

-16.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$113 ETB 17.8K

-20.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

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 Assela: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Assela. 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 Assela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Assela is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,225 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 $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $80.2 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 $35.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $817 in Assela versus $1,256 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 54% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.