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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,362 in Dabas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,041 in Dabas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,719 in Dabas.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 7% less than in Dabas, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 7% below, Dabas is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$12.89 Ft 4,072

-10.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$37.85 Ft 12.0K

24.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$9.26 Ft 2,925

28.29%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$1.53 Ft 484

160.13%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.41 Ft 445

1.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.45 Ft 143

82.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$1.82 Ft 576

75.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$1.59 Ft 503

327.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.24 Ft 392

35.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.60 Ft 507

37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$2.50 Ft 791

-31.60%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$3.47 Ft 1,096

-21.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$10.71 Ft 3,383

-10.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$7.04 Ft 2,225

27.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$16.43 Ft 5,190

-22.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.46 Ft 777

17.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.39 Ft 755

-37.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$2.61 Ft 825

-17.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$4.01 Ft 1,267

-43.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$1.17 Ft 370

69.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$1.45 Ft 459

37.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.91 Ft 604

-35.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.55 Ft 174

118.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$8.05 Ft 2,544

-43.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$4.72 Ft 1,492

119.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.39 Ft 441

16.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.66 Ft 842

8.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$1.32 Ft 416

-54.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$28.57 Ft 9,027

0.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$3.58 Ft 1,131

50.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$1.38 Ft 435

170.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$25.13 Ft 7,939

-77.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.53 Ft 485

0.65%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$31.2K Ft 9.9M

-27.75%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$37.3K Ft 11.8M

-30.17%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$178 Ft 56.3K

-48.69%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$21.30 Ft 6,729

18.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$21.74 Ft 6,867

43.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$43.32 Ft 13.7K

55.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$18.86 Ft 5,960

54.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$9.31 Ft 2,940

-47.80%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$448 Ft 141.5K

-50.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$7,949 Ft 2.5M

-46.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$104 Ft 32.8K

-54.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$52.2 Ft 16.5K

-15.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$101 Ft 31.8K

-20.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$114 Ft 35.9K

-18.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$516 Ft 162.9K

106.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$429 Ft 135.4K

-8.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$772 Ft 244.0K

178.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$669 Ft 211.4K

90.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$3,109 Ft 982.4K

28.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$2,423 Ft 765.7K

168.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

43.12%

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 Dabas: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $516 in Dabas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $38.00 in Dabas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $269 per month, with Dabas 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 Dabas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Dabas. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $2,043 in Dabas 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 $516 in Dabas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 1% less than in Dabas. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $448 in Dabas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,362 in Dabas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Dabas. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Dabas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.