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: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $508 in Dobrush.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $850 in Dobrush.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,193 in Dobrush.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 155% more expensive than in Dobrush, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Dobrush 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$6.49 BYN 19.86

80.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$28.83 BYN 88.2

61.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$4.16 BYN 12.72

180.05%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$1.51 BYN 4.61

170.86%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.61 BYN 1.87

124.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.32 BYN 0.97

159.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$1.17 BYN 3.57

186.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.51 BYN 7.67

175.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$0.73 BYN 2.25

136.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$0.57 BYN 1.74

296.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$1.07 BYN 3.27

65.42%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$1.39 BYN 4.24

96.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$6.62 BYN 20.25

38.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$4.11 BYN 12.56

117.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$6.09 BYN 18.64

106.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$1.25 BYN 3.82

141.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$1.73 BYN 5.30

-9.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$1.77 BYN 5.42

20.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$1.69 BYN 5.18

33.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$0.41 BYN 1.26

387.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$0.60 BYN 1.84

243.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.94 BYN 2.89

25.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.46 BYN 1.42

160.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$1.91 BYN 5.84

142.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$7.61 BYN 23.29

40.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$1.00 BYN 3.06

62.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$1.92 BYN 5.86

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.32 BYN 0.97

78.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$14.79 BYN 45.26

101.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$0.66 BYN 2.02

725.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.47 BYN 1.45

687.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$10.03 BYN 30.70

-40.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$0.89 BYN 2.73

74.16%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$19.6K BYN 60.1K

13.75%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$19.9K BYN 60.9K

30.33%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$60.9 BYN 186

46.38%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$7.39 BYN 22.61

238.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$11.53 BYN 35.28

173.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$33.27 BYN 102

103.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$3.19 BYN 9.76

58.31%

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

$225 MX$3,802

$323 BYN 987

-30.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$9,837 BYN 30.1K

-57.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$44.22 BYN 135

7.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$45.05 BYN 138

-0.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$86.8 BYN 266

-5.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$105 BYN 322

-12.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$324 BYN 992

229.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$557 BYN 1,703

247.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$1,140 BYN 3,489

250.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$893 BYN 2,732

642.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-23.67%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Dobrush: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $324 in Dobrush. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $29.00 in Dobrush for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $150 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 155% 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 $1,940 in Playa del Carmen and $762 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $324 in Dobrush. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dobrush – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $508 in Dobrush – a 155% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $508 in Dobrush versus $1,293 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 $508 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 155% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.