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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,050 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,588 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,126 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 36% 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 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$6.61 AED 24.26

80.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$82.9 AED 305

-42.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$8.02 AED 29.46

46.51%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.1

$6.33 AED 23.26

-34.91%

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

$1.40 MX$23.78

$0.78 AED 2.88

79.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$0.28 AED 1.03

225.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

$13.36 AED 49.08

-75.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$13.78 AED 50.6

-48.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.49

$1.33 AED 4.87

26.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$1.06 AED 3.91

102.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$2.44 AED 8.95

-27.46%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.83

$2.19 AED 8.06

28.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$12.60 AED 46.29

-26.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.66 AED 24.48

38.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$6.73 AED 24.73

87.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.61 AED 5.92

83.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.83

$1.39 AED 5.10

13.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$1.93 AED 7.10

15.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.15

$1.40 AED 5.13

68.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.86

$0.79 AED 2.89

151.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.63

$0.85 AED 3.11

132.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$1.37 AED 5.04

-9.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$0.55 AED 2.02

120.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$6.00 AED 22.05

-23.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

$16.60 AED 61.0

-36.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

$2.79 AED 10.24

-39.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

$2.66 AED 9.77

4.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.24

$2.51 AED 9.20

-76.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

$45.14 AED 166

-34.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$1.12 AED 4.12

367.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

$0.68 AED 2.50

436.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$8.09 AED 29.71

-28.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$0.69 AED 2.54

123.19%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$27.5K AED 100.8K

-16.95%

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

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$22.1K AED 81.3K

16.62%

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

$90.7 MX$1,540

$248 AED 911

-63.45%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$52.7 AED 194

-52.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$81.1 AED 298

-60.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

$56.8 AED 208

21.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

$29.70 AED 109

-1.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$16.18 AED 59.4

-69.96%

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

$226 MX$3,834

$839 AED 3,083

-73.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$5,810 AED 21.3K

-27.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$76.4 AED 281

-38.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

$57.3 AED 210

-24.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$102 AED 375

-21.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$101 AED 370

-9.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$803 AED 2,948

35.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,943

$909 AED 3,338

-55.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,815 AED 6,668

8.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

$2,709 AED 9,949

-52.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

$4,367 AED 16.0K

-7.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

$2,311 AED 8,488

190.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.54

152.20%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Dibba Al-Fujairah: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $803 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $83.0 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Groceries flip the comparison at $278 vs $234, with Dibba Al-Fujairah 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 Dibba Al-Fujairah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Dibba Al-Fujairah differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $2,050 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 $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $3,075 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $803 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 52% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $839 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,050 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 57% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.