Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Dharan

For one person, living is cheaper in Dharan: $56.9 a month against $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Dharan
Learn more

Dharan Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Dharan

🇳🇵 Nepal

$56.9

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Dharan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $56.9 in Dharan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Dharan $56.9

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $89.7 in Dharan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Dharan $89.7

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $122 in Dharan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Dharan $122

Playa del Carmen costs about 2035% more than Dharan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Dharan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Dharan 96% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

$1.99 NPR 309

451.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

$1.64 NPR 254

131.71%

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

$0.40 NPR 62.1

227.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.72

$0.13 NPR 20.65

561.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

$0.43 NPR 67.0

441.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$2.58 NPR 399

205.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$1.14 NPR 177

35.09%

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

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

$24.03 MX$441

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

$1.90 NPR 294

167.89%

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

$208 MX$3,813

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

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 4, 2026

Last update for Dharan: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Dharan

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Dharan

$17 * 29.3% 93.4% $243

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Dharan

$38 * 64.3% 81.5% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Dharan

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Dharan

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Dharan

$3.8 * 6.5% 94.9% $71

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Dharan

- * 0% 100%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇳🇵 Dharan

🕒 Local time

08:06 8:06 AM

18:51 6:51 PM

10 h 45 min ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

173,096

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.46 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NPR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 155 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.46 USD). 1 EUR = 173 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.77 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Dharan 14,700 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Dharan

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 Dharan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 2035% more than Dharan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $85.4 in Dharan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,215 in Playa del Carmen and $56.9 in Dharan. That's a gap of about 2035%.

Groceries cost about 1411% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dharan, where all-in costs run around $56.9, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,215. In Dharan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dharan costs $56.9 versus $1,215 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dharan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.