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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $879 in Ibb.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,447 in Ibb.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,014 in Ibb.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 44% more expensive than in Ibb, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Ibb 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$6.30 YER 1,487

84.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$25.73 YER 6,079

83.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$13.05 YER 3,084

-8.97%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 YER 480

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 YER 604

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.17 YER 512

83.41%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.12 YER 265

27.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.50 YER 118

64.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$2.06 YER 486

-18.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.98 YER 230

124.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.02 YER 476

-15.35%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$3.63 YER 857

-24.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$13.87 YER 3,277

-30.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$8.12 YER 1,918

10.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$19.07 YER 4,504

-32.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$3.26 YER 771

-11.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.01 YER 239

48.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.25 YER 532

-4.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.68 YER 397

34.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.47 YER 347

34.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.32 YER 311

50.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.81 YER 192

51.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.69 YER 163

73.91%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.36 YER 793

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 YER 435

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 YER 821

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$3.95 YER 933

15.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$2.12 YER 502

154.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$2.56 YER 605

45.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$7.36 YER 1,739

-21.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$2.05 YER 485

-24.88%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$17.0K YER 4.0M

32.90%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$34.9K YER 8.2M

-25.24%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$63.6 YER 15.0K

43.68%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$15.57 YER 3,677

61.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$29.89 YER 7,060

4.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.99 YER 1,415

-18.86%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$24.80 YER 5,859

801.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$2,138 YER 505.1K

97.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$29.42 YER 6,950

60.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$120 YER 28.4K

-63.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$47.06 YER 11.1K

70.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$40.69 YER 9,613

127.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$313 YER 74.0K

239.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$252 YER 59.6K

54.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$773 YER 182.7K

177.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$629 YER 148.7K

102.09%

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

$359 YER 84.8K

111.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.25

1.78%

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 Ibb: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $313 in Ibb. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 111% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $26.00 in Ibb for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $251 per month, with Ibb 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 Ibb: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ibb is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 111% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $313 in Ibb. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $879 in Ibb – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $879 in Ibb versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ibb but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ibb the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ibb 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.

Expats usually find Ibb gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.