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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,025 in Durbanville, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,629 in Durbanville, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,233 in Durbanville, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 25% more than Durbanville, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Durbanville are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Durbanville 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$10.98 R 182

8.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$44.75 R 741

-4.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$5.12 R 84.8

106.84%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.09 R 34.52

73.21%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.80 R 13.24

83.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.54 R 8.88

74.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$2.21 R 36.50

39.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$2.54 R 41.98

75.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.10 R 18.16

30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.05 R 17.41

79.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.89 R 31.33

-13.76%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.49 R 41.16

6.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$8.70 R 144

-5.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$5.26 R 87.1

57.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$7.51 R 124

47.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$1.50 R 24.76

76.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.47 R 24.36

2.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.44 R 23.87

38.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.57 R 26.04

32.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.12 R 18.52

59.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.23 R 20.35

77.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.04 R 17.20

3.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.94 R 15.55

10.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$3.01 R 49.74

31.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$6.35 R 105

60.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.40 R 23.25

23.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$1.74 R 28.84

43.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$1.66 R 27.49

-68.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.36 R 22.48

130.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.92 R 15.28

160.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$4.60 R 76.1

-32.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.23 R 20.41

3.25%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$21.1K R 349.1K

46.41%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$24.3K R 401.4K

-3.86%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$98.4 R 1,629

-16.68%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$32.77 R 542

-31.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$40.58 R 672

-26.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$30.54 R 505

69.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$6.55 R 108

-24.12%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$216 R 3,581

-8.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$5,235 R 86.6K

0.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$55.8 R 923

-34.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$32.86 R 544

21.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$115 R 1,895

-30.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$83.3 R 1,379

6.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$365 R 6,043

163.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$335 R 5,548

38.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$679 R 11.2K

134.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$689 R 11.4K

75.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$794 R 13.1K

396.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$622 R 10.3K

936.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$1,050 R 17.4K

-31.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.77

-2.97%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Durbanville: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $365 in Durbanville. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 46% higher in Durbanville, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $45.00 in Durbanville. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $188 in Durbanville – so Durbanville wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Durbanville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 25% more than Durbanville, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,538 in Durbanville. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Durbanville, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $1,025 in Durbanville. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $216 in Durbanville. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Durbanville, where all-in costs run around $1,025, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Durbanville it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Durbanville costs $1,025 versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Durbanville. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.