Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Dunboyne

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,790 in Dunboyne, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Dunboyne, Ireland
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Dunboyne
🇮🇪 Ireland
$2,790
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Dunboyne

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Dunboyne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,790 in Dunboyne, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Dunboyne $2,790

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,955 in Dunboyne, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Dunboyne $3,955

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,119 in Dunboyne, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Dunboyne $5,119

Playa del Carmen is about 57% cheaper than Dunboyne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Dunboyne is 105% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Dunboyne
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$203
$22.60 €20.25
-51.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$808
$88.8 €79.6
-51.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$219
$12.58 €11.27
-6.36%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.0
$4.40 €3.95
-13.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.89
$2.98 €2.67
-57.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.58
$2.23 €2.00
-65.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.0
$7.35 €6.58
-56.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$91.9
$7.33 €6.57
-32.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Dunboyne
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.20
$1.69 €1.52
-16.57%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.30
$2.24 €2.00
-0.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.40
$1.89 €1.70
-24.87%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.00
$4.62 €4.14
-45.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$135
$10.14 €9.09
-28.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$143
$12.58 €11.27
-38.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$236
$15.97 €14.31
-20.54%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.9
$2.79 €2.50
-0.36%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.49
$2.24 €2.01
-38.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.52
$2.80 €2.51
-8.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.55
$4.66 €4.18
-54.51%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.11
$1.83 €1.64
6.01%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.13
$1.48 €1.32
27.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.36
$1.35 €1.21
-14.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$21.96
$2.11 €1.89
-44.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.0
$20.24 €18.14
-78.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$185
$13.34 €11.96
-25.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.50
$3.49 €3.13
-54.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$49.76
$3.57 €3.20
-25.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Dunboyne
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.31
$2.45 €2.20
-77.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$496
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$92.6
$5.19 €4.65
-4.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.1
$1.48 €1.33
125.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$99.8
$33.49 €30.01
-84.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.90
$2.05 €1.84
-29.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$385.0K
$38.7K €34.6K
-46.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$437.2K
$37.9K €33.9K
-38.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Dunboyne
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,580
$239 €214
-64.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$436
$18.18 €16.30
28.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$534
$52.4 €46.99
-45.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Dunboyne
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,063
$62.0 €55.6
-8.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$539
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$95.7
$13.39 €12.00
-61.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Dunboyne
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,848
$1,077 €965
-80.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.2K
$5,151 €4,616
-23.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Dunboyne
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$808
$94.7 €84.9
-54.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$772
$41.84 €37.49
-0.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,382
$108 €97.1
-31.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,663
$121 €108
-25.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Dunboyne
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.2K
$1,354 €1,214
-27.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,095
$1,502 €1,346
-74.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.8K
$2,567 €2,300
-33.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.0K
$2,239 €2,007
-51.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.5K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$114.7K
$3,766 €3,375
63.51%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Dunboyne
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
3.81
200.52%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Dunboyne: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Dunboyne
$1.5K 294% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Dunboyne
$359 40.9% $104
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Dunboyne
$344 69.8% $141
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Dunboyne
$310 127% $173
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Dunboyne
$164 47.2% $53
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Dunboyne
$89 32% $22
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Dunboyne
$22 * 55.6% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,354 in Dunboyne. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $89 in Dunboyne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $359 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇮🇪 Dunboyne
🕒 Local time
00:26 12:26 AM
05:26 5:26 AM
5 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
7,300
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Dunboyne 7,570 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Dunboyne

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Dunboyne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Playa del Carmen and in Dunboyne compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $2,790 in Dunboyne – Playa del Carmen comes out roughly 57% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Playa del Carmen compared to Dunboyne?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $4,185 in Dunboyne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Playa del Carmen and Dunboyne?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,354 in Dunboyne.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $89 in Dunboyne. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 41% more in Dunboyne, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Dunboyne at $2,790. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dunboyne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Playa del Carmen or Dunboyne?
Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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