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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $783 in Dourados.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,235 in Dourados.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,687 in Dourados.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 61% more expensive than in Dourados, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Dourados 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$5.55 R$28.16

115.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$731

$27.36 R$139

53.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$6.13 R$31.13

69.98%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.3

$1.74 R$8.86

101.72%

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

$1.52 MX$26.44

$1.08 R$5.49

40.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.88

$0.66 R$3.33

37.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.0

$1.85 R$9.41

64.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.2

$2.66 R$13.51

64.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.78

$1.00 R$5.08

42.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.93

$1.49 R$7.57

22.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.51

$1.18 R$6.01

38.14%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.29

$1.96 R$9.96

29.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$8.19 R$41.55

4.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$3.63 R$18.42

133.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$7.09 R$35.98

52.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.04

$2.07 R$10.49

32.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.05

$1.26 R$6.41

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.90

$1.20 R$6.11

57.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$1.47 R$7.44

47.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.03

$1.14 R$5.79

56.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.79

$1.10 R$5.59

101.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.64

$0.69 R$3.51

55.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.83

$0.65 R$3.32

66.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.3

$2.16 R$10.98

92.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$7.35 R$37.31

42.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.40

$1.22 R$6.19

42.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.01

$2.07 R$10.51

24.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.95

$0.87 R$4.41

-41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$452

$37.78 R$192

-31.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.0

$1.11 R$5.62

189.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.64

$0.71 R$3.60

252.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.6

$6.54 R$33.19

-51.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.91

$1.08 R$5.47

16.67%

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

$29.7K MX$517.7K

$21.0K R$106.5K

41.44%

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

$23.7K MX$413.0K

$27.7K R$140.5K

-14.42%

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

$82.0 MX$1,430

$59.9 R$304

37.04%

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

$22.73 MX$396

$13.75 R$69.8

65.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$513

$18.68 R$94.8

57.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$910

$22.32 R$113

133.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$322

$21.83 R$111

-15.48%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$6.18 R$31.36

-20.23%

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

$202 MX$3,519

$271 R$1,374

-25.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.0K

$6,463 R$32.8K

-19.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$627

$49.24 R$250

-27.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$703

$41.89 R$213

-3.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,393

$75.2 R$382

6.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,557

$64.9 R$330

37.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$315 R$1,598

201.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,114

$219 R$1,114

112.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$573 R$2,909

184.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$433 R$2,196

175.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.6K

$1,686 R$8,559

133.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.1K

$1,074 R$5,449

498.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.92

4.58%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Last update for Dourados: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Playa del Carmen and $315 in Dourados. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Dourados for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $173 per month, with Dourados 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 Dourados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dourados wins on cost – living expenses run 61% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dourados the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,888 in Playa del Carmen and $1,175 in Dourados 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: $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $315 in Dourados. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Dourados – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $783 in Dourados versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dourados but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Dourados the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dourados delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $783 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dourados hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Dourados gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.