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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $425 in Imbabah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $671 in Imbabah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $918 in Imbabah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 197% 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 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$3.52 E£177

232.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$15.64 E£787

167.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$4.66 E£234

125.54%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.43 E£71.8

151.05%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.29 E£14.45

420.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.12 E£6.16

666.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.17 E£58.9

152.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.00 E£151

47.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$0.65 E£32.54

115.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.22 E£11.13

754.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$0.66 E£33.39

136.36%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.40 E£70.3

86.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$1.44 E£72.6

477.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.08 E£155

171.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$6.76 E£340

60.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.41 E£71.1

92.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$0.50 E£25.23

202.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$0.39 E£19.61

379.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.17 E£8.65

1188.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.37 E£18.82

402.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.41 E£20.54

443.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.09 E£4.31

1088.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.18 E£8.93

505.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$1.77 E£88.9

136.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$1.96 E£98.4

432.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.38 E£69.5

20.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.00 E£100

30.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.17 E£8.64

217.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$14.86 E£747

76.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.23 E£11.47

1239.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.42 E£21.28

471.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$2.00 E£100

56.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.25 E£12.61

424.00%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$35.6K E£1.8M

-16.16%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$32.7K E£1.6M

-28.78%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$11.28 E£567

620.57%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$5.87 E£295

284.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$10.21 E£514

194.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$22.14 E£1,113

138.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$2.93 E£147

67.92%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$23.81 E£1,198

743.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$970 E£48.8K

433.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$15.92 E£801

125.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$19.58 E£985

104.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$111 E£5,565

-27.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$51.3 E£2,579

68.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$191 E£9,583

413.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$100 E£5,053

368.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$306 E£15.4K

438.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$179 E£9,014

571.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$801 E£40.3K

393.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$457 E£23.0K

1344.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$100 E£5,046

574.47%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Imbabah: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $191 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 574% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in Imbabah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, $425 in Imbabah – roughly 197% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $637 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 184% 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 $42.00 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 $425, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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 $425 in Imbabah to $1,260 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.