Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Dibba Al-Fujairah Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Dibba Al-Fujairah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,066 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,118 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,170 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 38% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 4% below, Dibba Al-Fujairah is 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$10.80 AED 39.64

10.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$80.4 AED 295

-46.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$9.26 AED 33.97

14.36%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$5.48 AED 20.13

-33.94%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.24 AED 4.54

18.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.90 AED 3.30

4.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$12.04 AED 44.19

-74.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$13.75 AED 50.5

-67.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$2.00 AED 7.35

-28.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.37 AED 5.03

37.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$2.24 AED 8.23

-27.23%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$3.33 AED 12.21

-20.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$10.20 AED 37.43

-19.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$9.18 AED 33.69

-9.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$12.46 AED 45.72

-10.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$2.29 AED 8.41

15.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.97 AED 7.21

-23.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.93 AED 7.08

3.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.56 AED 5.74

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.25 AED 4.57

43.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.26 AED 4.63

73.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.39 AED 5.09

-22.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.68 AED 2.50

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$6.61 AED 24.26

-39.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$19.31 AED 70.9

-47.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$2.64 AED 9.68

-34.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$3.56 AED 13.06

-29.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$1.62 AED 5.95

-67.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$51.5 AED 189

-47.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$3.26 AED 11.96

-3.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.56 AED 2.04

328.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$8.05 AED 29.55

-61.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$0.74 AED 2.70

71.62%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$32.6K AED 119.6K

-5.23%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$22.9K AED 84.1K

1.69%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$215 AED 787

-61.77%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$62.5 AED 229

-64.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$102 AED 375

-71.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$64.0 AED 235

-18.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$39.99 AED 147

-53.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$14.78 AED 54.3

-66.37%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$844 AED 3,097

-76.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$5,669 AED 20.8K

-6.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$82.4 AED 302

-55.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$63.1 AED 231

-36.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$112 AED 411

-28.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$122 AED 447

-27.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$755 AED 2,771

27.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$747 AED 2,741

-37.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$2,556 AED 9,380

-37.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$1,353 AED 4,965

-10.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$4,985 AED 18.3K

-20.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$2,058 AED 7,551

213.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.49

154.34%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Dibba Al-Fujairah: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $755 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $80.0 in Dibba Al-Fujairah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $288 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Dibba Al-Fujairah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Dibba Al-Fujairah differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $2,066 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $3,099 in Dibba Al-Fujairah 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $755 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 91% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $844 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,066 in Dibba Al-Fujairah, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Dibba Al-Fujairah. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Dibba Al-Fujairah 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 61% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.