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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $422 in Daman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $706 in Daman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $989 in Daman.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 207% more expensive than Daman, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Daman 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$5.21 ₹496

125.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$21.80 ₹2,077

90.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$2.07 ₹198

414.01%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.66 ₹253

32.33%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.49 ₹46.71

208.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.11 ₹10.08

781.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.38 ₹226

23.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$4.02 ₹383

10.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$0.68 ₹64.6

102.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.28 ₹26.66

575.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.49 ₹46.76

234.69%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$0.82 ₹78.0

206.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.87 ₹654

21.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$2.18 ₹208

282.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.37 ₹226

9.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$0.22 ₹20.90

563.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.27 ₹121

49.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$0.69 ₹65.3

201.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.53 ₹50.8

235.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.24 ₹22.87

812.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.69 ₹65.7

50.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.27 ₹25.80

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.36 ₹225

72.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$8.33 ₹793

23.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$2.14 ₹203

-20.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$3.35 ₹319

-22.99%

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

$7.01 ₹667

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.30 ₹28.70

70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$8.53 ₹813

210.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.34 ₹32.26

858.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.30 ₹28.90

730.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$1.44 ₹137

125.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.14 ₹108

14.91%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$17.7K ₹1.7M

71.54%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$25.2K ₹2.4M

-7.08%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$50.9 ₹4,846

62.91%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$2.84 ₹271

682.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$5.76 ₹549

409.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$15.91 ₹1,515

224.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$7.11 ₹677

157.67%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$2.95 ₹281

71.86%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$121 ₹11.5K

65.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$415 ₹39.5K

1156.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$15.99 ₹1,523

130.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$30.99 ₹2,952

28.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$27.38 ₹2,608

186.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$22.81 ₹2,173

281.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$122 ₹11.6K

697.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$81.9 ₹7,802

471.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$276 ₹26.3K

495.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$212 ₹20.2K

476.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$955 ₹90.9K

313.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$512 ₹48.7K

1170.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$205 ₹19.5K

223.64%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Daman: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $122 in Daman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 224% 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 207% 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 224% more on average, 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: $973 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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $422 in Daman – a 207% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $422 in Daman versus $1,297 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 $422 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 207% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.