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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,182 in Dabas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,726 in Dabas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,269 in Dabas.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 9% more expensive than Dabas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Dabas 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$8.60 Ft 2,683

38.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$35.09 Ft 10.9K

21.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$8.60 Ft 2,683

23.14%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.47 Ft 459

146.26%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.11 Ft 345

32.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.45 Ft 140

108.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.53 Ft 478

101.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$1.40 Ft 436

218.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.11 Ft 345

28.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.41 Ft 440

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.84 Ft 575

-11.41%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.44 Ft 762

8.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$9.11 Ft 2,844

-9.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.83 Ft 1,819

42.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$14.11 Ft 4,402

-21.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.02 Ft 632

31.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.02 Ft 630

-25.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.10 Ft 654

-5.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$3.60 Ft 1,124

-42.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.22 Ft 381

46.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.24 Ft 386

75.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.78 Ft 555

-39.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.58 Ft 182

79.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$7.41 Ft 2,311

-46.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$4.92 Ft 1,535

107.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.22 Ft 381

41.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.04 Ft 635

22.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$1.16 Ft 362

-55.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$25.24 Ft 7,875

6.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$3.24 Ft 1,012

-3.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.07 Ft 333

124.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$22.76 Ft 7,100

-86.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.45 Ft 453

-12.41%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$27.2K Ft 8.5M

13.33%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$31.3K Ft 9.8M

-25.40%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$165 Ft 51.6K

-50.42%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$27.51 Ft 8,583

-18.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$19.74 Ft 6,159

50.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$46.08 Ft 14.4K

12.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$16.49 Ft 5,146

13.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$7.68 Ft 2,397

-35.29%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$401 Ft 125.2K

-50.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$7,125 Ft 2.2M

-26.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$90.6 Ft 28.3K

-59.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$44.20 Ft 13.8K

-9.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$92.3 Ft 28.8K

-13.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$103 Ft 32.0K

-13.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$448 Ft 139.9K

114.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$339 Ft 105.6K

37.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$643 Ft 200.7K

148.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$522 Ft 163.0K

131.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,999 Ft 935.7K

31.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$2,142 Ft 668.4K

201.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

42.75%

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 Dabas: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $448 in Dabas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Dabas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $230 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

Dabas wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dabas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,773 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $448 in Dabas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dabas runs roughly 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $401 in Dabas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,182 in Dabas versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dabas but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Dabas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dabas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,182 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dabas hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Dabas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.