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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,026 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,057 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,088 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 37% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Dibba Al-Fujairah is 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$10.87 AED 39.94

9.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$80.2 AED 294

-46.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$9.29 AED 34.10

14.64%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$5.46 AED 20.04

-36.81%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.24 AED 4.57

20.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.95 AED 3.51

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$12.47 AED 45.79

-75.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$13.47 AED 49.48

-65.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.94 AED 7.11

-28.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.38 AED 5.07

34.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.25 AED 8.27

-28.44%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.29 AED 12.09

-21.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.22 AED 37.52

-19.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$9.33 AED 34.28

-10.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$12.65 AED 46.48

-15.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.27 AED 8.34

15.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.86 AED 6.83

-19.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.91 AED 7.02

0.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.53 AED 5.63

36.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.22 AED 4.49

52.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.25 AED 4.61

80.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.45 AED 5.31

-26.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.69 AED 2.54

57.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$6.56 AED 24.10

-36.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$16.18 AED 59.5

-35.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.60 AED 9.55

-33.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.38 AED 12.40

-22.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.67 AED 6.13

-67.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$53.4 AED 196

-49.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.35 AED 12.30

-6.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.52 AED 1.92

382.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$8.31 AED 30.53

-62.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.79 AED 2.88

60.76%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$32.7K AED 120.1K

-7.13%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$23.0K AED 84.5K

2.45%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$213 AED 784

-61.12%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$61.9 AED 227

-63.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$102 AED 374

-71.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$63.4 AED 233

-19.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$39.14 AED 144

-53.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$15.13 AED 55.6

-67.42%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$854 AED 3,137

-76.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$5,760 AED 21.2K

-8.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$83.0 AED 305

-55.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$62.8 AED 230

-36.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$115 AED 423

-30.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$119 AED 439

-25.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$742 AED 2,726

28.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$769 AED 2,823

-37.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$2,463 AED 9,048

-33.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$1,351 AED 4,962

-9.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$4,430 AED 16.3K

-11.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$2,219 AED 8,151

191.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Dibba Al-Fujairah: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $742 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 $250 vs $281 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 59% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $2,026 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 $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $3,039 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $742 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 98% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $854 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,026 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 59% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.