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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $414 in Imbabah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $668 in Imbabah, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $923 in Imbabah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 206% more than Imbabah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Imbabah are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Imbabah 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$4.24 E£221

173.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$16.30 E£849

189.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$4.85 E£253

144.95%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$1.34 E£70.0

197.01%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$0.31 E£16.01

361.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.10 E£5.43

720.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$1.38 E£71.9

131.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.83 E£147

139.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$0.65 E£33.66

158.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.21 E£11.04

947.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$0.65 E£34.05

163.08%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$1.16 E£60.4

136.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$1.42 E£74.2

574.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.15 E£164

186.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$6.72 E£350

90.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$1.59 E£82.6

81.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$0.46 E£23.85

226.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$0.38 E£19.69

465.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$0.19 E£9.65

1089.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.27 E£14.21

633.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.33 E£17.23

503.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.10 E£4.95

1130.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.20 E£10.38

500.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$1.70 E£88.7

167.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$1.98 E£103

423.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.27 E£66.4

27.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$1.90 E£99.1

51.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.20 E£10.34

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$14.53 E£757

98.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$0.22 E£11.45

2350.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$0.45 E£23.40

728.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$1.91 E£99.7

202.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$0.24 E£12.53

541.67%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$32.4K E£1.7M

-30.41%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$27.5K E£1.4M

-5.31%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$13.20 E£687

592.27%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$7.09 E£369

255.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$13.48 E£702

131.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$17.70 E£922

279.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$2.85 E£148

70.53%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$22.69 E£1,182

885.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$970 E£50.5K

335.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$15.18 E£791

210.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$19.53 E£1,017

126.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$122 E£6,361

-34.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$53.9 E£2,806

71.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$130 E£6,744

720.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$87.2 E£4,542

347.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$223 E£11.6K

865.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$126 E£6,561

909.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$768 E£40.0K

420.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$432 E£22.5K

1406.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$96.6 E£5,028

685.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

21.33

-46.32%

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 Imbabah: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $130 in Imbabah. 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 685% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in Imbabah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $88.0 – making Imbabah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Imbabah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $414 in Imbabah – roughly 206% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $621 in Imbabah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 215% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $16.00 in Imbabah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Imbabah, where all-in costs run around $414, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Imbabah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $414 in Imbabah to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Imbabah. 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.