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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $429 in Daman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $719 in Daman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,009 in Daman.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 193% more expensive than in Daman, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Daman 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$5.17 ₹498

131.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$22.29 ₹2,146

87.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$2.11 ₹204

409.48%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$2.63 ₹253

33.08%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$0.48 ₹46.45

202.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.13 ₹12.64

576.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$2.27 ₹219

29.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$4.00 ₹385

12.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$0.73 ₹70.2

95.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$0.28 ₹26.86

557.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$0.49 ₹47.26

220.41%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$0.87 ₹84.0

188.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$6.91 ₹665

19.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$2.16 ₹208

290.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$2.30 ₹222

13.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$0.22 ₹21.16

554.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.29 ₹124

51.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$0.69 ₹66.5

202.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$0.54 ₹51.6

242.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$0.24 ₹23.16

804.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$0.64 ₹61.4

60.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.27 ₹26.19

296.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$2.39 ₹230

71.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$8.20 ₹790

24.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$2.11 ₹203

-20.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$3.40 ₹327

-25.59%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$7.10 ₹683

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.28 ₹26.93

82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$8.65 ₹832

201.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$0.34 ₹32.55

850.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$0.30 ₹29.10

703.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$1.44 ₹139

124.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.13 ₹109

16.81%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$17.7K ₹1.7M

67.52%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$24.9K ₹2.4M

-4.89%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$50.6 ₹4,866

62.24%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$2.96 ₹285

675.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$5.88 ₹566

412.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$15.76 ₹1,517

229.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$6.99 ₹673

165.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$2.87 ₹276

73.52%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$119 ₹11.5K

65.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$401 ₹38.6K

1231.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$15.98 ₹1,538

122.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$30.99 ₹2,983

30.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$27.65 ₹2,662

184.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$23.21 ₹2,234

283.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$122 ₹11.8K

674.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$80.5 ₹7,745

489.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$274 ₹26.4K

499.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$218 ₹20.9K

456.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$965 ₹92.9K

320.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$507 ₹48.8K

1175.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

$206 ₹19.8K

218.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

26.89%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Daman: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $122 in Daman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 218% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Daman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $110 per month, with Daman 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 Daman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Daman wins on cost – living expenses run 193% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Daman the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 218% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $122 in Daman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Daman – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $429 in Daman – a 193% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $429 in Daman versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Daman but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Daman the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Daman delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $429 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Daman hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Daman 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 Daman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 193% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.