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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $551 in Dobrush.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $930 in Dobrush.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,309 in Dobrush.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 128% more expensive than in Dobrush, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Dobrush 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$9.11 BYN 26.15

31.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$727

$30.57 BYN 87.7

36.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.35 BYN 15.36

100.93%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.8

$1.75 BYN 5.02

100.00%

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

$1.45 MX$25.21

$0.63 BYN 1.81

130.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.40

$0.45 BYN 1.30

95.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.20 BYN 3.46

145.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.5

$2.09 BYN 6.01

115.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.92

$0.77 BYN 2.21

85.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.98

$0.62 BYN 1.77

196.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.30

$1.18 BYN 3.39

33.05%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.72

$1.37 BYN 3.92

83.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$6.53 BYN 18.75

26.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.20 BYN 12.06

100.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$7.95 BYN 22.81

34.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.40

$1.11 BYN 3.18

135.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.03

$1.75 BYN 5.01

-17.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.15

$1.84 BYN 5.28

6.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.45

$2.59 BYN 7.44

-19.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.22

$0.43 BYN 1.24

330.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.72

$0.58 BYN 1.66

274.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.95

$1.33 BYN 3.82

-22.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.69

$0.59 BYN 1.68

81.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.81 BYN 5.20

126.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$8.62 BYN 24.73

17.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.15

$0.97 BYN 2.79

73.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.96

$1.76 BYN 5.04

43.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.86

$0.30 BYN 0.87

70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$12.77 BYN 36.66

103.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.35 BYN 3.87

139.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.86

$0.30 BYN 0.86

703.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$5.68 BYN 16.31

-43.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.99

$0.74 BYN 2.13

78.38%

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

$29.7K MX$516.8K

$20.3K BYN 58.3K

46.22%

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

$23.7K MX$411.8K

$23.5K BYN 67.5K

0.55%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$54.0 BYN 155

51.98%

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

$22.95 MX$399

$7.58 BYN 21.76

202.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$10.70 BYN 30.72

181.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$904

$30.10 BYN 86.4

72.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$322

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$4.48 BYN 12.87

11.16%

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

$197 MX$3,436

$298 BYN 855

-33.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$10.1K BYN 29.0K

-47.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$619

$50.1 BYN 144

-29.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$42.84 BYN 123

-5.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,370

$114 BYN 326

-30.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,548

$96.7 BYN 277

-8.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,249

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,140 BYN 3,272

255.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.6K

$764 BYN 2,192

746.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.77

-22.68%

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 Dobrush: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Dobrush for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $165 per month, with Dobrush 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 Dobrush: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dobrush wins on cost – living expenses run 128% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dobrush the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $827 in Dobrush 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Dobrush – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $551 in Dobrush – a 128% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $551 in Dobrush versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dobrush but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Dobrush the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dobrush delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $551 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dobrush hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Dobrush 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 Dobrush gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.