Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Dededo

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,734 in Dededo, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Dededo

🇬🇺 Guam

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Dededo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Dededo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,734 in Dededo.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Dededo $2,734

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,908 in Dededo.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Dededo $3,908

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,082 in Dededo.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Dededo $5,082

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 56% less than in Dededo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Dededo is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$203

$24.58 $24.58

-55.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$824

$49.68 $49.68

-11.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$219

$16.93 $16.93

-30.54%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.6

$4.47 $4.47

-17.67%

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

$1.34 MX$25.01

$1.12 $1.12

19.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.38

$1.03 $1.03

-20.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$57.1

$2.83 $2.83

8.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$92.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.41

$6.97 $6.97

-78.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.32

$9.23 $9.23

-75.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.57

$2.22 $2.22

-33.33%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$46.41

$7.03 $7.03

-64.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$140

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$148

$18.09 $18.09

-56.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$234

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.8

$7.99 $7.99

-65.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.61

$8.07 $8.07

-82.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.81

$10.17 $10.17

-74.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.85

$9.78 $9.78

-78.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.72

$6.25 $6.25

-67.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$37.08

$8.48 $8.48

-76.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.20

$4.48 $4.48

-74.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.38

$2.04 $2.04

-41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$79.4

$9.23 $9.23

-53.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$187

$22.99 $22.99

-56.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.67

$2.44 $2.44

-36.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.62

$5.10 $5.10

-47.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.82

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$513

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$91.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$64.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$27.00

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

$21.2K MX$394.5K

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

$23.0K MX$429.2K

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

$85.4 MX$1,592

$203 $203

-57.97%

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

$23.46 MX$438

$49.16 $49.16

-52.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$530

$50.8 $50.8

-44.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,160

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$535

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$95.2

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

$201 MX$3,749

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$73.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$828

$59.1 $59.1

-24.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$771

$98.5 $98.5

-58.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,356

$102 $102

-28.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,671

$120 $120

-25.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.3K

$1,635 $1,635

-40.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,950

$1,322 $1,322

-71.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.3K

$3,231 $3,231

-47.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.4K

$2,003 $2,003

-45.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$114.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.8K

$3,805 $3,805

-80.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Dededo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Dededo

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Dededo

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Dededo

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Dededo

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Dededo

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Dededo

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Dededo

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $979 in Playa del Carmen and $1,635 in Dededo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dededo pays 416% 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: $44.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $50.0 in Dededo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $614 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇬🇺 Dededo

🕒 Local time

10:04 10:04 AM

01:04 1:04 AM

15 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

45,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 18.65 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Dededo 13,190 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Dededo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Dededo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 127% lower than in Dededo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 416% lower in Dededo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,635 in Dededo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,734 in Dededo – a 127% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 138% higher in Dededo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,734 in Dededo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Dededo. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,204 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Dededo 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Dededo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.