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: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $787 in Dourados.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,238 in Dourados.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,689 in Dourados.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 60% more expensive than 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

$11.67 MX$202

$5.27 R$26.17

121.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$27.12 R$135

54.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$6.28 R$31.19

65.61%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$1.79 R$8.91

101.68%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$1.08 R$5.36

36.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.66 R$3.29

37.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$1.85 R$9.19

63.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$2.72 R$13.53

64.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.01 R$5.04

36.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$1.52 R$7.56

21.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.13 R$5.63

42.48%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$1.94 R$9.62

32.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$8.06 R$40.07

5.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$3.58 R$17.78

137.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$7.21 R$35.82

52.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.15 R$10.68

26.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.25 R$6.19

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.19 R$5.91

64.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.46 R$7.26

45.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$1.19 R$5.93

56.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.11 R$5.49

95.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$0.74 R$3.66

44.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.61 R$3.03

72.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$2.15 R$10.69

94.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$7.27 R$36.12

41.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.27 R$6.30

31.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$2.04 R$10.15

22.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.86 R$4.30

-37.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$38.33 R$191

-31.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$1.11 R$5.53

179.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$0.71 R$3.52

246.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$6.45 R$32.04

-49.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.04 R$5.15

21.15%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$21.0K R$104.6K

43.35%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$27.3K R$135.8K

-14.22%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$60.8 R$302

38.07%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$13.46 R$66.9

65.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$18.56 R$92.3

59.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$22.12 R$110

137.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$21.96 R$109

-16.48%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$6.12 R$30.44

-19.12%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$272 R$1,353

-27.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$6,463 R$32.1K

-17.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$49.84 R$248

-27.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$42.84 R$213

-6.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$75.9 R$377

3.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$65.6 R$326

31.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$311 R$1,544

214.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$215 R$1,068

119.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$591 R$2,937

169.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$431 R$2,145

181.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$1,873 R$9,309

115.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,220 R$6,062

439.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Dourados: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $311 in Dourados. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $27 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 60% 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 $1,891 in Playa del Carmen and $1,181 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: $977 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 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 $787 in Dourados versus $1,261 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 $787 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 60% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.