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: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $401 in Daman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $651 in Daman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $902 in Daman.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 223% more expensive than in Daman, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Daman 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$199

$2.06 ₹196

468.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$791

$20.99 ₹1,993

121.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$198

$4.08 ₹388

185.54%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.5

$2.63 ₹250

55.51%

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

$1.37 MX$23.34

$0.38 ₹35.69

260.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.16

$0.15 ₹14.36

453.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.9

$2.56 ₹243

30.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$4.24 ₹402

62.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.33

$0.61 ₹57.7

183.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.39

$0.31 ₹29.23

629.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.05

$0.41 ₹38.86

331.71%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.41

$0.73 ₹69.5

273.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$156

$5.80 ₹551

58.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$2.04 ₹194

337.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$214

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.3

$2.26 ₹214

33.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.68

$0.22 ₹20.92

613.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.10

$1.16 ₹110

83.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.46

$0.52 ₹49.58

334.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.04

$0.38 ₹35.88

426.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.06

$0.20 ₹18.98

930.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$20.04

$0.45 ₹42.68

162.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.45

$0.25 ₹23.89

380.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.7

$2.04 ₹194

126.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$182

$8.33 ₹791

28.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.50

$2.09 ₹199

-22.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.93

$3.07 ₹292

-6.19%

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

$6.16 ₹585

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.74

$0.26 ₹24.22

119.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$507

$7.94 ₹754

275.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.5

$0.31 ₹29.35

1658.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.9

$0.31 ₹29.17

1093.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$102

$1.59 ₹151

276.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.38

$1.08 ₹102

43.52%

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

$22.3K MX$379.2K

$16.1K ₹1.5M

38.81%

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

$25.9K MX$440.7K

$22.7K ₹2.2M

14.42%

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

$89.1 MX$1,514

$61.0 ₹5,791

46.16%

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

$25.04 MX$425

$2.59 ₹246

866.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$535

$5.37 ₹510

486.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,151

$14.20 ₹1,348

377.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$491

$6.99 ₹664

313.73%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.8

$2.60 ₹247

94.23%

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

$225 MX$3,820

$48.88 ₹4,642

360.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.7K

$375 ₹35.6K

1026.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$806

$14.76 ₹1,402

221.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$764

$23.21 ₹2,204

93.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,392

$24.90 ₹2,365

229.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,564

$21.39 ₹2,031

330.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.2K

$111 ₹10.6K

861.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,884

$73.9 ₹7,020

448.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.9K

$254 ₹24.1K

663.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.1K

$194 ₹18.4K

572.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.9K

$959 ₹91.0K

316.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.5K

$519 ₹49.2K

1177.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$208 ₹19.7K

260.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

90.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Daman: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $111 in Daman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 261% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Daman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $101 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 223% 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 261% 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $111 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 $21.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $401 in Daman – a 223% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $401 in Daman versus $1,293 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 $401 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 223% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.