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: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $734 in Ebene.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,247 in Ebene.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,761 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 3% lower, Ebene 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$6.79 MUR 320

72.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$32.64 MUR 1,537

28.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$6.46 MUR 304

61.15%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$2.63 MUR 124

37.26%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$0.92 MUR 43.26

58.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.57 MUR 26.70

70.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$1.88 MUR 88.6

55.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$2.56 MUR 121

80.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.56 MUR 73.5

-8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$0.71 MUR 33.42

167.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.32 MUR 62.2

18.94%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$2.31 MUR 109

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$8.96 MUR 422

-5.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$6.05 MUR 285

41.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$10.80 MUR 508

1.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$1.81 MUR 85.1

49.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.24 MUR 58.4

21.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$1.48 MUR 69.7

29.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$2.63 MUR 124

-17.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$1.03 MUR 48.56

81.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$0.95 MUR 44.65

134.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.78 MUR 36.72

38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.54 MUR 25.29

98.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$6.10 MUR 287

-31.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$8.45 MUR 398

21.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.67 MUR 78.9

0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.24 MUR 105

12.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.92 MUR 43.40

-40.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$4.45 MUR 209

-28.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$2.73 MUR 128

-9.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$19.73 MUR 929

-83.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.40 MUR 65.9

-5.71%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$35.6K MUR 1.7M

-15.36%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

-19.61%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$49.59 MUR 2,335

64.05%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$18.18 MUR 856

23.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$33.81 MUR 1,592

-11.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$30.24 MUR 1,424

70.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$6.47 MUR 304

184.23%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$6.12 MUR 288

-15.69%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$155 MUR 7,275

30.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$3,955 MUR 186.2K

34.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$45.54 MUR 2,144

-21.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$44.79 MUR 2,109

-9.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$50.3 MUR 2,369

56.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$49.56 MUR 2,333

75.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$262 MUR 12.3K

262.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$154 MUR 7,272

209.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$594 MUR 28.0K

172.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$440 MUR 20.7K

178.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$1,186 MUR 55.8K

-43.25%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Ebene: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $262 in Ebene. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ebene pays 76% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $33.00 in Ebene for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $207 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 76% 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $262 in Ebene. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $155 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $734 in Ebene versus $1,294 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.