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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $422 in Imbabah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $686 in Imbabah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $950 in Imbabah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 201% more than Imbabah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Imbabah are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Imbabah 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.62 E£185

227.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$15.60 E£797

175.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.73 E£242

125.16%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.51 E£77.0

128.48%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.29 E£14.57

417.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.10 E£5.05

850.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.21 E£62.0

150.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.98 E£152

54.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.60 E£30.86

130.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.19 E£9.45

873.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.67 E£34.18

140.30%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.46 E£74.6

77.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$1.45 E£74.1

469.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.14 E£160

166.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$6.84 E£349

55.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.43 E£73.0

83.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.51 E£26.05

192.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.39 E£19.73

392.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.22 E£11.28

850.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.41 E£20.72

353.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.41 E£20.86

451.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.11 E£5.80

863.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.19 E£9.95

473.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.74 E£89.1

138.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$1.93 E£98.7

438.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.33 E£68.0

29.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.93 E£98.6

35.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.19 E£9.66

184.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$14.53 E£742

85.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.25 E£12.82

1152.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.45 E£23.11

457.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.04 E£104

54.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.25 E£12.80

408.00%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$35.2K E£1.8M

-13.75%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$33.2K E£1.7M

-29.01%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$11.33 E£578

632.57%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$5.84 E£298

288.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$10.19 E£520

189.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$22.01 E£1,124

131.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$2.87 E£147

71.78%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$24.00 E£1,226

722.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$974 E£49.7K

442.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$15.78 E£806

133.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$19.89 E£1,016

100.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$111 E£5,650

-27.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$50.8 E£2,595

76.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$193 E£9,852

395.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$101 E£5,174

370.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$308 E£15.7K

435.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$177 E£9,034

592.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$785 E£40.1K

398.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$362 E£18.5K

1685.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$94.3 E£4,814

607.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-32.82%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Imbabah: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $193 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 608% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in Imbabah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $89.0 – 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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $422 in Imbabah – roughly 201% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $633 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 181% 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 $43.00 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 $422, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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 $422 in Imbabah to $1,271 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.