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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $706 in Dubasari.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,089 in Dubasari.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,472 in Dubasari.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 84% more expensive than Dubasari, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Dubasari 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$9.03 MDL 155

29.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$36.34 MDL 625

14.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.40 MDL 127

43.78%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.89 MDL 32.52

86.24%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.94 MDL 16.13

60.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.66 MDL 11.27

46.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.72 MDL 29.51

71.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.40 MDL 41.19

85.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.28 MDL 22.05

7.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.53 MDL 9.03

256.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.51 MDL 26.02

8.61%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.58 MDL 44.34

-2.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$10.36 MDL 178

-19.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.52 MDL 94.9

51.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$8.89 MDL 153

20.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$0.85 MDL 14.63

205.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.77 MDL 30.50

-17.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.79 MDL 30.73

6.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$2.09 MDL 35.99

-0.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.81 MDL 13.99

119.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.58 MDL 10.00

277.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.30 MDL 22.33

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.89 MDL 15.38

21.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$3.16 MDL 54.3

29.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$4.54 MDL 78.1

127.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.27 MDL 21.84

34.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.94 MDL 33.28

32.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.00 MDL 34.34

63.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.27 MDL 4.69

822.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$5.31 MDL 91.2

-38.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.44 MDL 24.71

-9.03%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$32.0K MDL 550.4K

-5.44%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$30.7K MDL 526.9K

-23.56%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$170 MDL 2,915

-51.13%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$7.47 MDL 128

197.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$10.81 MDL 186

171.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$7.45 MDL 128

-31.95%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$387 MDL 6,650

-48.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$7,611 MDL 130.8K

-31.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$66.8 MDL 1,147

-44.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$52.9 MDL 909

-24.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$112 MDL 1,932

-30.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$124 MDL 2,131

-29.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.24

23.59%

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 Dubasari: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $36.00 in Dubasari for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $191 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, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 84% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,059 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 30% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $706 in Dubasari – a 84% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $706 in Dubasari versus $1,297 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 84% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.