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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $682 in Dubasari.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,077 in Dubasari.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,471 in Dubasari.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Dubasari 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$8.91 MDL 155

34.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$36.19 MDL 630

15.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$7.39 MDL 129

45.47%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.81 MDL 31.54

93.37%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.99 MDL 17.29

46.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.69 MDL 11.95

27.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.77 MDL 30.77

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.30 MDL 40.05

96.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.28 MDL 22.37

11.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.53 MDL 9.16

247.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.44 MDL 25.13

9.03%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.61 MDL 45.37

-3.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.48 MDL 183

-20.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.50 MDL 95.7

53.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$8.83 MDL 154

20.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$0.85 MDL 14.84

207.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.83 MDL 31.91

-21.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.71 MDL 29.71

14.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.16 MDL 37.61

-3.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.76 MDL 13.30

143.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.55 MDL 9.66

294.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.36 MDL 23.69

-24.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.90 MDL 15.70

18.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.23 MDL 56.2

26.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$4.59 MDL 79.9

121.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.21 MDL 21.06

38.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.00 MDL 34.90

26.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$2.06 MDL 35.93

56.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.27 MDL 4.72

792.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$5.13 MDL 89.4

-37.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.41 MDL 24.61

-6.38%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$32.6K MDL 568.4K

-9.03%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$30.5K MDL 531.7K

-22.50%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$171 MDL 2,971

-51.93%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$7.57 MDL 132

203.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$10.73 MDL 187

180.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$7.73 MDL 135

-35.58%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$383 MDL 6,669

-48.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$7,756 MDL 135.1K

-31.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$67.0 MDL 1,167

-46.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$53.5 MDL 931

-24.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$111 MDL 1,936

-29.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$122 MDL 2,130

-27.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Dubasari: July 12, 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 $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,023 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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $682 in Dubasari – a 84% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $682 in Dubasari versus $1,256 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.