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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,127 in Dealu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,723 in Dealu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,319 in Dealu.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 11% more expensive than in Dealu, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Dealu 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$11.63 RON 53.4

3.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$58.3 RON 267

-28.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$8.15 RON 37.42

31.90%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.41 RON 15.67

2.64%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$2.31 RON 10.60

-37.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$2.23 RON 10.25

-60.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$3.25 RON 14.90

-9.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$4.02 RON 18.45

12.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.79 RON 8.22

-20.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.29 RON 5.91

42.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.88 RON 8.64

-16.49%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$3.22 RON 14.77

-22.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$9.93 RON 45.56

-16.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$7.25 RON 33.28

16.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$12.04 RON 55.3

-11.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.20 RON 5.51

117.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.77 RON 8.14

-18.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.65 RON 7.55

18.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.39 RON 10.98

-12.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.94 RON 4.33

96.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.93 RON 4.26

133.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.05 RON 4.80

-1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.90 RON 4.11

18.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$6.58 RON 30.18

-37.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$6.37 RON 29.26

59.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.11 RON 5.12

51.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.04 RON 9.35

24.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.72 RON 3.29

-29.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$19.49 RON 89.5

33.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.01 RON 4.64

219.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.70 RON 3.22

244.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$9.47 RON 43.46

-65.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.65 RON 7.60

-20.00%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$28.4K RON 130.5K

4.43%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$26.7K RON 122.7K

-11.50%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$159 RON 731

-48.51%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$9.06 RON 41.58

153.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$10.03 RON 46.05

200.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$42.06 RON 193

23.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$19.16 RON 88.0

-3.29%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$7.99 RON 36.67

-37.67%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$480 RON 2,203

-58.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$10.9K RON 49.8K

-50.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$70.6 RON 324

-49.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$40.02 RON 184

0.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$85.9 RON 394

-8.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$100.0 RON 459

-11.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$384 RON 1,762

146.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$286 RON 1,313

65.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$594 RON 2,725

176.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$438 RON 2,009

176.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,843 RON 8,458

120.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,602 RON 7,353

303.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Dealu: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $384 in Dealu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $58.0 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 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,690 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $384 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 $58.0 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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,127 in Dealu – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,127 in Dealu versus $1,256 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 11% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.