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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,119 in Dealu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,738 in Dealu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,357 in Dealu.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 16% more expensive than Dealu, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Dealu 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$11.45 RON 51.8

2.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$57.5 RON 260

-27.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$8.22 RON 37.16

29.44%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$3.36 RON 15.20

4.76%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$2.35 RON 10.61

-35.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$2.23 RON 10.06

-56.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$3.18 RON 14.39

-7.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.80 RON 17.19

17.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.80 RON 8.12

-23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.34 RON 6.04

41.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.86 RON 8.43

-11.83%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$3.33 RON 15.07

-24.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$9.71 RON 43.88

-14.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.13 RON 32.22

16.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$12.09 RON 54.7

-11.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.25 RON 5.66

108.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.72 RON 7.76

-15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.58 RON 7.14

20.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$2.32 RON 10.50

-10.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.03 RON 4.64

72.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.90 RON 4.08

143.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.09 RON 4.91

-4.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.89 RON 4.04

21.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$6.25 RON 28.23

-34.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$6.57 RON 29.69

57.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.17 RON 5.28

46.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.99 RON 9.00

29.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.71 RON 3.22

-28.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$19.94 RON 90.1

32.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.93 RON 4.21

250.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.72 RON 3.23

245.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$9.26 RON 41.87

-64.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.64 RON 7.42

-20.12%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$27.5K RON 124.2K

10.18%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$26.3K RON 119.1K

-11.04%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$155 RON 703

-46.68%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$9.09 RON 41.07

144.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$9.97 RON 45.09

194.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$41.03 RON 185

25.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$19.17 RON 86.7

-4.43%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$7.98 RON 36.06

-36.47%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$483 RON 2,181

-58.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$10.6K RON 47.8K

-50.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$68.7 RON 311

-46.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$41.00 RON 185

-2.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$86.4 RON 391

-9.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$99.9 RON 452

-12.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$390 RON 1,762

149.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$287 RON 1,295

63.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$578 RON 2,611

184.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$434 RON 1,960

181.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,905 RON 8,611

107.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,584 RON 7,160

310.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.85

95.21%

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 Dealu: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $390 in Dealu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $57.0 in Dealu. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $231, with Dealu cheaper for home cooking.

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 Dealu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dealu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,678 in Dealu 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $390 in Dealu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dealu – a meal for two runs $57.0 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 $1,119 in Dealu – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,119 in Dealu versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dealu but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Dealu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dealu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Dealu 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 Dealu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.