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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $783 in Dourados.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,250 in Dourados.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,716 in Dourados.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 66% more expensive than Dourados, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Dourados 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$5.37 R$27.66

118.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$727

$26.77 R$138

55.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$6.21 R$31.99

71.34%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.5

$1.80 R$9.28

95.56%

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

$1.51 MX$26.37

$1.13 R$5.82

33.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.00

$0.63 R$3.24

53.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$1.75 R$9.00

68.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.8

$2.77 R$14.28

60.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.16

$0.96 R$4.93

43.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$1.51 R$7.79

25.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.59

$1.19 R$6.14

37.82%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.76

$2.01 R$10.37

24.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$8.01 R$41.28

4.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$3.69 R$19.00

126.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$7.35 R$37.84

45.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.48

$2.09 R$10.76

24.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$1.30 R$6.68

12.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.19

$1.15 R$5.95

65.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.26

$1.51 R$7.80

37.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.01

$1.14 R$5.86

56.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.16

$1.09 R$5.63

100.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$0.71 R$3.64

46.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.80

$0.67 R$3.45

61.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.3

$2.14 R$11.03

90.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$180

$8.60 R$44.29

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.90

$1.22 R$6.27

40.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.98

$1.98 R$10.20

30.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.89 R$4.57

-42.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

$39.22 R$202

-32.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$1.05 R$5.43

210.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.51

$0.75 R$3.86

232.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.7

$6.42 R$33.07

-49.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.83

$1.03 R$5.32

27.18%

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

$30.3K MX$528.8K

$20.4K R$105.3K

48.16%

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

$23.4K MX$409.2K

$27.3K R$140.8K

-14.30%

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

$82.9 MX$1,447

$60.7 R$313

36.43%

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

$22.22 MX$388

$13.46 R$69.4

65.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$512

$19.16 R$98.7

53.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$902

$22.47 R$116

129.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

$21.61 R$111

-15.22%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.5

$6.28 R$32.37

-19.27%

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

$201 MX$3,507

$270 R$1,388

-25.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.0K

$6,446 R$33.2K

-19.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$645

$49.32 R$254

-25.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$695

$42.06 R$217

-5.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,370

$75.4 R$388

4.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,521

$65.2 R$336

33.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$311 R$1,600

213.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,169

$218 R$1,123

114.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$594 R$3,057

176.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

$426 R$2,196

186.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.9K

$1,753 R$9,031

125.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

$1,054 R$5,430

516.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Dourados: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $311 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 $249 vs $176 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 66% 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 $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,174 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $311 in Dourados. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% 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 $1,297 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 66% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.