Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Dimapur Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Dimapur

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $337 in Dimapur, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $549 in Dimapur, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $762 in Dimapur, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 273% more than Dimapur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Dimapur are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Dimapur 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$1.43 ₹138

738.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$10.56 ₹1,018

295.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.89 ₹568

82.51%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.70 ₹164

105.88%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.22 ₹21.09

559.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.12 ₹11.99

633.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.38 ₹133

113.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.96 ₹286

52.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.69 ₹66.9

107.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.47 ₹45.32

291.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.30 ₹29.35

423.33%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.00 ₹96.0

151.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$2.87 ₹277

188.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$2.38 ₹229

254.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.91 ₹185

36.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.75 ₹72.7

92.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.91 ₹87.9

115.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.78 ₹75.0

167.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.29 ₹27.76

537.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.35 ₹34.12

520.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.40 ₹38.16

157.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.30 ₹29.07

256.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.47 ₹334

18.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$7.24 ₹698

40.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.38 ₹133

21.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.87 ₹276

-11.85%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$4.29 ₹414

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.28 ₹26.63

82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$8.53 ₹823

205.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.48 ₹46.31

572.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.26 ₹25.19

826.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.47 ₹142

119.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.13 ₹109

16.81%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$13.8K ₹1.3M

115.84%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$17.7K ₹1.7M

33.80%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$17.34 ₹1,672

372.95%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$3.44 ₹332

567.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$5.43 ₹523

454.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$13.42 ₹1,294

287.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$7.18 ₹693

158.08%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$2.83 ₹273

75.97%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$33.12 ₹3,194

496.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$1,912 ₹184.4K

179.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$17.74 ₹1,711

100.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$11.46 ₹1,105

251.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$46.54 ₹4,488

69.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$34.87 ₹3,362

155.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$123 ₹11.9K

667.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$76.1 ₹7,338

522.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$280 ₹27.0K

487.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$179 ₹17.3K

575.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$881 ₹85.0K

360.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$499 ₹48.1K

1197.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

7.38

54.74%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Dimapur: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $123 in Dimapur. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $11.00 in Dimapur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $93.0 – making Dimapur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Dimapur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 273%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $505 in Dimapur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dimapur, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $11.00 in Dimapur. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $337 in Dimapur. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dimapur, where all-in costs run around $337, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Dimapur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dimapur – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Dimapur. 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.