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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,162 in Dabas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,729 in Dabas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,296 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 5% lower, Dabas 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$8.85 Ft 2,678

34.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$35.15 Ft 10.6K

22.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.84 Ft 2,676

20.48%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.47 Ft 445

134.69%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.10 Ft 332

36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.41 Ft 124

131.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.55 Ft 469

95.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.47 Ft 444

213.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.10 Ft 333

25.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.46 Ft 441

26.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.89 Ft 571

-14.81%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.51 Ft 759

3.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$9.39 Ft 2,840

-12.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.00 Ft 1,815

39.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$14.38 Ft 4,350

-25.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.92 Ft 581

36.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.01 Ft 608

-25.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.20 Ft 666

-12.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$3.63 Ft 1,097

-42.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.26 Ft 382

47.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.24 Ft 376

82.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.71 Ft 518

-38.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.54 Ft 163

101.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$7.07 Ft 2,138

-41.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$4.78 Ft 1,445

117.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.22 Ft 370

40.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.05 Ft 620

27.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.17 Ft 354

-53.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$25.46 Ft 7,704

5.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.20 Ft 967

-2.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.07 Ft 325

134.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$23.30 Ft 7,048

-86.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.48 Ft 448

-14.19%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$27.2K Ft 8.2M

11.52%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$31.0K Ft 9.4M

-24.06%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$166 Ft 50.3K

-50.05%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$27.94 Ft 8,454

-18.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$19.49 Ft 5,897

51.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$45.84 Ft 13.9K

11.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$17.01 Ft 5,146

7.76%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$7.70 Ft 2,330

-35.97%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$398 Ft 120.3K

-50.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,300 Ft 2.2M

-27.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$92.6 Ft 28.0K

-60.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$44.81 Ft 13.6K

-10.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$94.4 Ft 28.6K

-15.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$101 Ft 30.6K

-11.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$447 Ft 135.2K

113.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$345 Ft 104.5K

38.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$630 Ft 190.6K

161.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$542 Ft 164.0K

125.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$3,287 Ft 994.4K

19.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$2,519 Ft 762.1K

156.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Dabas: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $447 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 $250 vs $232 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 $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,743 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $447 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 6% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $398 in Dabas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,162 in Dabas versus $1,271 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 $1,162 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.