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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $731 in Ebene.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,248 in Ebene.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,765 in Ebene.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 76% more expensive than Ebene, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Ebene 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$6.69 MUR 313

78.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$743

$32.94 MUR 1,542

29.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$6.52 MUR 305

62.42%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.69 MUR 126

34.57%

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

$1.47 MX$25.51

$0.91 MUR 42.76

61.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.39

$0.57 MUR 26.76

64.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$1.85 MUR 86.4

67.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.5

$2.66 MUR 125

67.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.77

$1.55 MUR 72.7

-7.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.75

$0.69 MUR 32.42

172.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.31

$1.27 MUR 59.4

28.35%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.94

$2.24 MUR 105

17.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$9.01 MUR 422

-8.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$6.02 MUR 282

37.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$11.03 MUR 516

0.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.08

$1.78 MUR 83.3

48.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.08

$1.28 MUR 60.1

17.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.55

$1.50 MUR 70.1

32.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.09

$2.70 MUR 126

-22.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.08

$0.95 MUR 44.32

88.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.83

$0.93 MUR 43.48

134.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.71

$0.85 MUR 39.62

27.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.56 MUR 26.43

85.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.0

$5.83 MUR 273

-31.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$177

$8.65 MUR 405

17.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.01

$1.68 MUR 78.6

2.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.41

$2.18 MUR 102

14.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.01

$0.92 MUR 42.91

-43.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.6

$4.47 MUR 209

-29.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.75

$2.70 MUR 127

-11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.6

$19.45 MUR 910

-84.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.13

$1.47 MUR 68.8

-13.61%

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

$30.9K MX$536.7K

$36.1K MUR 1.7M

-14.47%

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

$23.3K MX$405.2K

$29.3K MUR 1.4M

-20.51%

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

$82.0 MX$1,425

$49.93 MUR 2,337

64.25%

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

$22.45 MX$390

$18.64 MUR 872

20.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$515

$32.93 MUR 1,541

-9.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$901

$29.47 MUR 1,379

76.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$324

$6.65 MUR 311

180.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.4

$5.99 MUR 281

-17.03%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$154 MUR 7,214

28.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.6K

$3,965 MUR 185.6K

32.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$45.47 MUR 2,128

-20.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$696

$44.28 MUR 2,073

-9.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,388

$48.84 MUR 2,286

63.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,545

$49.97 MUR 2,339

77.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$259 MUR 12.1K

271.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,077

$153 MUR 7,178

203.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.7K

$602 MUR 28.2K

165.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$438 MUR 20.5K

175.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$1,175 MUR 55.0K

-38.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.67

71.21%

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 Ebene: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $259 in Ebene. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ebene pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $33 in Ebene for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $208 per month, with Ebene 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 Ebene: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ebene is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ebene earns 63% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $259 in Ebene. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $154 in Ebene. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ebene – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $731 in Ebene versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ebene but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ebene the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ebene 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 Ebene 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 Ebene gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.