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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,216 in Cabarete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,850 in Cabarete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,484 in Cabarete.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 4% more expensive than in Cabarete, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Cabarete 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$7.62 DOP 448

52.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$51.0 DOP 2,995

-7.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.61 DOP 388

79.73%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.00 DOP 118

99.00%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.09 DOP 64.0

31.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.64 DOP 37.44

28.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.60 DOP 153

22.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.47 DOP 204

95.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.46 DOP 85.6

15.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.58 DOP 92.9

39.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.67 DOP 97.9

2.40%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.32 DOP 136

18.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$7.36 DOP 433

30.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.86 DOP 344

53.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$6.86 DOP 403

86.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$3.03 DOP 178

-4.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.79 DOP 46.36

89.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.81 DOP 165

-23.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.84 DOP 108

22.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$2.04 DOP 120

-2.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$2.30 DOP 135

-13.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.05 DOP 61.9

17.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.88 DOP 51.8

36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.10 DOP 241

10.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$10.59 DOP 622

-2.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$2.60 DOP 153

-37.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.58 DOP 151

11.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.98 DOP 57.9

-38.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$3.33 DOP 195

61.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$2.33 DOP 137

60.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$6.04 DOP 355

-4.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.21 DOP 71.0

27.27%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$23.3K DOP 1.4M

-3.02%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$33.6K DOP 2.0M

-22.49%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$93.9 DOP 5,515

-2.64%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$31.97 DOP 1,879

-21.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$37.57 DOP 2,208

-16.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$25.15 DOP 1,478

167.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$7.84 DOP 461

-38.01%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$256 DOP 15.1K

-12.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$7,507 DOP 441.1K

-43.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$45.91 DOP 2,698

2.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$46.82 DOP 2,751

-5.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$89.3 DOP 5,250

-10.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$126 DOP 7,428

-26.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$706 DOP 41.5K

50.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$504 DOP 29.6K

-22.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,208 DOP 71.0K

77.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$793 DOP 46.6K

60.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$302 DOP 17.7K

2052.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

13.56

-15.56%

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 Cabarete: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $706 in Cabarete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $51.0 in Cabarete. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $223, with Cabarete 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 Cabarete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cabarete wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cabarete the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,824 in Cabarete 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $706 in Cabarete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $256 in Cabarete. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cabarete – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,216 in Cabarete versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cabarete but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cabarete the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cabarete delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,216 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cabarete hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Cabarete 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 Cabarete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.