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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $521 in Duma.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $821 in Duma.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,122 in Duma.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 141% more expensive than in Duma, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Duma 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$5.90 SYP 717

103.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$27.28 SYP 3,315

53.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$5.34 SYP 648

101.31%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$1.57 SYP 190

122.93%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$1.17 SYP 142

23.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.73 SYP 88.8

20.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$1.65 SYP 200

78.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$2.53 SYP 307

78.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$0.98 SYP 119

45.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$0.59 SYP 71.7

211.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.75 SYP 212

-10.29%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$1.92 SYP 233

30.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$3.14 SYP 382

163.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$7.79 SYP 946

8.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$11.49 SYP 1,396

-7.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$0.86 SYP 104

203.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.72 SYP 209

-16.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.04 SYP 126

88.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$0.95 SYP 116

120.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$0.61 SYP 74.5

203.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$0.66 SYP 80.5

228.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$0.40 SYP 49.11

157.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.62 SYP 75.1

72.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$3.08 SYP 374

33.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$8.13 SYP 988

25.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$0.98 SYP 119

71.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$1.85 SYP 225

36.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$0.99 SYP 120

226.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$1.22 SYP 149

97.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$6.62 SYP 805

-51.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$3.77 SYP 458

-64.99%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$18.6K SYP 2.3M

59.35%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$21.1K SYP 2.6M

12.07%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$103 SYP 12.5K

-20.02%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$8.58 SYP 1,043

167.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$54.8 SYP 6,661

-45.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$3.09 SYP 375

61.17%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$42.91 SYP 5,215

360.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$1,824 SYP 221.7K

192.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$29.66 SYP 3,605

20.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$25.49 SYP 3,098

58.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$44.19 SYP 5,370

78.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$55.6 SYP 6,753

60.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

13.75

-16.95%

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 Duma: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Duma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $174 per month, with Duma 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 Duma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Duma wins on cost – living expenses run 141% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Duma the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $782 in Duma 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 43% 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 $521 in Duma – a 141% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $521 in Duma versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Duma but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Duma the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Duma delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $521 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Duma hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Duma 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 Duma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 141% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.