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: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $836 in Assela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,195 in Assela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,554 in Assela.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 55% more expensive than in Assela, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$3.94 ETB 632

197.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$43.27 ETB 6,949

7.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$6.66 ETB 1,070

74.92%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$0.95 ETB 152

330.53%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.60 ETB 95.9

128.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.63 ETB 102

31.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$0.77 ETB 123

335.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.28 ETB 366

203.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$1.07 ETB 172

61.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$1.20 ETB 193

88.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$2.11 ETB 338

-16.11%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$1.72 ETB 277

58.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$7.27 ETB 1,167

26.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$10.10 ETB 1,621

-11.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$9.16 ETB 1,471

37.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$5.27 ETB 846

-42.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$0.63 ETB 101

149.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$2.20 ETB 353

-3.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$0.67 ETB 107

237.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$0.50 ETB 79.9

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$1.06 ETB 170

94.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.66 ETB 106

78.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.57 ETB 91.4

110.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$7.92 ETB 1,273

-41.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$5.48 ETB 881

95.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$0.66 ETB 105

145.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$1.23 ETB 198

134.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$1.31 ETB 210

316.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.27 ETB 43.34

1270.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$1.99 ETB 319

200.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$0.97 ETB 156

59.79%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$54.3K ETB 8.7M

-58.87%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$54.9K ETB 8.8M

-52.75%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$208 ETB 33.4K

-57.11%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$7.28 ETB 1,170

243.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$210 ETB 33.8K

-85.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$3.86 ETB 620

30.83%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$137 ETB 22.0K

64.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$29.7K ETB 4.8M

-85.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$33.35 ETB 5,356

42.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$70.0 ETB 11.2K

-35.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$79.5 ETB 12.8K

3.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$83.1 ETB 13.3K

10.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

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: August 29, 2026

Last update for Assela: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $43.00 in Assela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $210 per month, with Assela 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 Assela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Assela is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,940 in Playa del Carmen and $1,254 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 $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $137 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 $43.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $836 in Assela versus $1,293 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 55% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.