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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $651 in Dubasari.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $988 in Dubasari.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,325 in Dubasari.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 94% more expensive than in Dubasari, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Dubasari 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$8.40 MDL 146

38.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$30.67 MDL 534

53.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$10.59 MDL 184

12.18%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$1.81 MDL 31.46

119.89%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.13 MDL 19.74

26.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.67 MDL 11.68

22.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.06 MDL 35.86

54.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.32 MDL 40.35

192.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.24 MDL 21.65

35.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.51 MDL 8.95

331.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.60 MDL 27.81

6.87%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.29 MDL 39.93

19.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$6.78 MDL 118

41.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.71 MDL 82.0

91.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$6.23 MDL 108

105.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$1.07 MDL 18.63

170.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.32 MDL 40.31

-35.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.86 MDL 32.28

15.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$2.41 MDL 41.91

-6.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.78 MDL 13.62

153.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.50 MDL 8.62

298.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.47 MDL 8.25

161.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.60 MDL 10.43

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$3.40 MDL 59.2

33.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$4.73 MDL 82.3

119.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.43 MDL 24.86

13.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.06 MDL 35.90

39.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$2.84 MDL 49.47

89.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$0.27 MDL 4.73

1281.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$5.79 MDL 101

-0.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.52 MDL 26.48

1.32%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$34.1K MDL 593.8K

-33.93%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$25.4K MDL 441.5K

2.70%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$231 MDL 4,019

-60.44%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$8.25 MDL 144

205.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$11.45 MDL 199

172.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$11.48 MDL 200

485.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$7.93 MDL 138

-38.71%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$115 MDL 1,993

95.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$5,283 MDL 91.9K

-19.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$45.29 MDL 788

4.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$58.1 MDL 1,011

37.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$52.0 MDL 905

78.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

43.12%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Dubasari: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Dubasari for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $168 per month, with Dubasari 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 Dubasari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dubasari is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $977 in Dubasari 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $651 in Dubasari – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $651 in Dubasari versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dubasari but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Dubasari the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dubasari is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Dubasari 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 Dubasari gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.