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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $714 in Ebene.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,216 in Ebene.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,718 in Ebene.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 77% more expensive than in Ebene, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Ebene 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$5.74 MUR 271

102.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$32.23 MUR 1,519

46.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.29 MUR 296

88.87%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.70 MUR 127

47.41%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.90 MUR 42.45

58.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.54 MUR 25.50

51.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.77 MUR 83.3

80.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.56 MUR 121

165.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.47 MUR 69.3

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.75 MUR 35.27

193.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.10 MUR 51.8

55.45%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.20 MUR 104

24.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$8.62 MUR 406

11.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.50 MUR 307

38.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.52 MUR 496

21.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.81 MUR 85.2

59.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.19 MUR 56.2

26.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.45 MUR 68.4

48.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$2.57 MUR 121

-12.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.97 MUR 45.60

104.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.02 MUR 48.25

95.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.69 MUR 32.69

78.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.52 MUR 24.39

130.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$5.59 MUR 263

-18.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$8.41 MUR 396

23.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.65 MUR 77.8

-1.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.66 MUR 125

8.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.87 MUR 41.22

-31.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$4.14 MUR 195

30.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$3.10 MUR 146

20.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$21.19 MUR 999

-72.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.32 MUR 62.2

16.67%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$36.6K MUR 1.7M

-38.43%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$31.6K MUR 1.5M

-17.58%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$45.28 MUR 2,134

101.81%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$10.68 MUR 503

135.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$29.17 MUR 1,375

7.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$28.29 MUR 1,333

137.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$6.23 MUR 294

367.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.82 MUR 275

-16.49%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$126 MUR 5,956

76.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$7,564 MUR 356.5K

-44.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$44.59 MUR 2,102

5.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$42.23 MUR 1,990

4.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$47.63 MUR 2,245

68.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$47.07 MUR 2,218

96.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$255 MUR 12.0K

316.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$149 MUR 7,028

161.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$577 MUR 27.2K

272.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$429 MUR 20.2K

196.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$1,181 MUR 55.7K

-35.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.67

71.66%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Ebene: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $255 in Ebene. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ebene pays 56% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $32.00 in Ebene for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $205 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 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 56% lower in Ebene. 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $255 in Ebene. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $126 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 $32.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $714 in Ebene versus $1,266 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 77% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.