Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Dadeldhurฤ Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Dadeldhurฤ

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $395 in Dadeldhurฤ, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $654 in Dadeldhurฤ, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $913 in Dadeldhurฤ, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 228% more than Dadeldhurฤ, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Dadeldhurฤ are more affordable than the global median โ€“ Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Dadeldhurฤ 71% lower.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Dadeldhurฤ
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.73 MX$203
$1.79 NPRย 272
555.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.62 MX$720
$19.30 NPRย 2,938
115.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.64 MX$184
$6.51 NPRย 990
63.44%
Cappuccino
$3.52 MX$60.9
$1.48 NPRย 225
137.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 MX$26.12
$0.50 NPRย 75.4
202.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.97 MX$16.84
$0.17 NPRย 25.27
470.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.95 MX$51.0
$2.63 NPRย 401
12.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.45 MX$77.0
$3.62 NPRย 551
22.93%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Dadeldhurฤ
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 MX$23.93
$0.80 NPRย 122
72.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.89 MX$32.72
$0.59 NPRย 90.1
220.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.64 MX$28.32
$0.80 NPRย 122
105.00%
Eggs
$2.51 MX$43.34
$1.66 NPRย 253
51.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.34 MX$144
$7.50 NPRย 1,142
11.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.34 MX$144
$3.21 NPRย 489
159.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.73 MX$186
$6.19 NPRย 942
73.34%
Apples (1kg)
$2.60 MX$45.04
$2.17 NPRย 331
19.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 MX$25.20
$1.08 NPRย 165
35.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.90 MX$32.87
$1.19 NPRย 181
59.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 MX$35.91
$0.69 NPRย 106
201.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 MX$30.71
$0.49 NPRย 75.0
263.27%
Onion (1kg)
$2.19 MX$37.80
$0.69 NPRย 105
217.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.04 MX$17.99
$0.53 NPRย 80.4
96.23%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.08 MX$18.62
$0.27 NPRย 41.52
300.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.08 MX$70.6
$2.98 NPRย 453
36.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.32 MX$178
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 MX$29.61
$2.28 NPRย 347
-25.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58 MX$44.54
$3.31 NPRย 504
-22.05%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Dadeldhurฤ
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$8.81
$0.21 NPRย 31.55
142.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.46 MX$458
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.26 MX$56.4
$2.23 NPRย 339
46.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.49 MX$43.09
$0.76 NPRย 115
227.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.25 MX$56.2
$3.59 NPRย 547
-9.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 MX$22.61
$1.26 NPRย 193
3.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.3K MX$523.7K
$31.7K NPRย 4.8M
-4.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.4K MX$405.3K
$41.1K NPRย 6.3M
-43.04%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Dadeldhurฤ
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$82.9 MX$1,433
$26.99 NPRย 4,108
207.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.22 MX$384
$4.75 NPRย 723
367.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.34 MX$507
$9.44 NPRย 1,437
210.81%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Dadeldhurฤ
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.6 MX$893
$18.46 NPRย 2,810
179.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.32 MX$317
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.07 MX$87.6
$2.71 NPRย 413
87.08%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Dadeldhurฤ
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 MX$3,473
$73.4 NPRย 11.2K
173.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,212 MX$90.1K
$2,691 NPRย 409.6K
93.66%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Dadeldhurฤ
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.92 MX$639
$25.05 NPRย 3,813
47.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.79 MX$688
$27.23 NPRย 4,144
46.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.5 MX$1,357
$46.05 NPRย 7,010
70.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$87.1 MX$1,506
$29.32 NPRย 4,462
197.03%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Dadeldhurฤ
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$973 MX$16.8K
$107 NPRย 16.3K
809.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$468 MX$8,090
$64.4 NPRย 9,798
626.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,641 MX$28.4K
$205 NPRย 31.2K
699.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,221 MX$21.1K
$148 NPRย 22.5K
726.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,946 MX$68.3K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,498 MX$112.4K
-
-
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Dadeldhurฤ
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$664 MX$11.5K
$98.6 NPRย 15.0K
573.42%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.42
12.08
-5.46%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Dadeldhurฤ: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $107 in Dadeldhurฤ. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 573% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $19.00 in Dadeldhurฤ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $133 โ€“ making Dadeldhurฤ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Dadeldhurฤ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Playa del Carmen or Dadeldhurฤ?
Playa del Carmen costs about 228% more than Dadeldhurฤ, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Playa del Carmen vs Dadeldhurฤ?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $593 in Dadeldhurฤ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled โ€“ not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Playa del Carmen or Dadeldhurฤ?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Dadeldhurฤ, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Playa del Carmen vs Dadeldhurฤ?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $19.00 in Dadeldhurฤ. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and cafรฉ pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Playa del Carmen or Dadeldhurฤ?
Groceries cost about 88% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Playa del Carmen or Dadeldhurฤ?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dadeldhurฤ, where all-in costs run around $395, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Dadeldhurฤ it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Playa del Carmen or Dadeldhurฤ?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dadeldhurฤ costs $395 versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Playa del Carmen compared to Dadeldhurฤ?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison โ€“ central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Playa del Carmen or Dadeldhurฤ?
If budget matters most, go with Dadeldhurฤ. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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