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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $884 in Cabarete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,347 in Cabarete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,810 in Cabarete.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 46% more expensive than Cabarete, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Cabarete 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$6.25 DOP 369

91.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$36.25 DOP 2,142

17.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.19 DOP 366

71.08%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.26 DOP 133

60.18%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.04 DOP 61.4

41.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.83 DOP 48.82

13.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.51 DOP 148

23.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.70 DOP 219

20.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.91 DOP 53.6

57.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.36 DOP 80.5

38.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.51 DOP 89.4

7.95%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.65 DOP 97.7

60.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$6.95 DOP 410

18.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.59 DOP 271

80.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$5.52 DOP 326

101.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$0.92 DOP 54.1

188.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$0.87 DOP 51.1

72.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.93 DOP 114

3.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.33 DOP 78.8

56.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.07 DOP 63.5

67.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.77 DOP 104

23.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.11 DOP 65.4

-2.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.95 DOP 56.2

9.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.35 DOP 198

18.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$11.73 DOP 693

-13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.37 DOP 140

-27.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.75 DOP 162

-9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.70 DOP 41.15

-25.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$3.30 DOP 195

-4.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$2.13 DOP 126

12.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$5.84 DOP 345

-47.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.29 DOP 76.1

-1.55%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$26.8K DOP 1.6M

15.31%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$31.6K DOP 1.9M

-26.19%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$51.7 DOP 3,055

58.63%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$25.48 DOP 1,505

-11.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$16.70 DOP 987

77.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$43.36 DOP 2,562

19.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$6.94 DOP 410

-28.39%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$269 DOP 15.9K

-26.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$8,153 DOP 481.8K

-35.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$60.2 DOP 3,557

-39.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$50.6 DOP 2,992

-20.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$95.0 DOP 5,615

-15.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$117 DOP 6,885

-23.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$874 DOP 51.6K

10.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$260 DOP 15.3K

78.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$601 DOP 35.5K

165.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$369 DOP 21.8K

227.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$307 DOP 18.1K

1999.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

12.9

-11.47%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Cabarete: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $874 in Cabarete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $36.00 in Cabarete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $183 per month, with Cabarete 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 Cabarete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cabarete wins on cost – living expenses run 46% 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 $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,326 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $874 in Cabarete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $269 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 $36.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $884 in Cabarete versus $1,287 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 $884 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 46% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.