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 $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $421 in Imbabah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,130 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $682 in Imbabah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,999 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $943 in Imbabah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 199% more than Imbabah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Imbabah are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Imbabah 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$203

$3.64 E£191

220.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$728

$15.95 E£839

162.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$181

$4.53 E£238

129.58%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.9

$1.50 E£78.9

140.67%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.31 E£16.44

374.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.86

$0.11 E£5.64

727.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$1.20 E£63.2

152.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.7

$2.98 E£157

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.91

$0.66 E£34.52

109.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.04

$0.21 E£11.19

776.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.91

$0.69 E£36.47

133.33%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.67

$1.45 E£76.3

77.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$1.49 E£78.6

469.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$3.23 E£170

162.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$191

$6.97 E£367

57.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.42

$1.41 E£74.4

93.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.01

$0.51 E£26.68

194.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.05

$0.38 E£20.16

415.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.83

$0.21 E£10.98

909.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.41

$0.37 E£19.54

402.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.80

$0.44 E£22.89

393.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.65

$0.10 E£5.35

970.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.24

$0.17 E£8.95

517.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.9

$1.73 E£91.3

142.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$179

$1.89 E£99.5

443.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.97

$1.36 E£71.7

22.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.27

$2.03 E£107

22.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.41

$0.17 E£9.04

217.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$457

$14.72 E£775

78.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$54.0

$0.25 E£13.16

1140.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.81

$0.45 E£23.68

446.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.3

$2.04 E£107

58.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.91

$0.25 E£13.23

404.00%

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

$30.2K MX$524.6K

$35.5K E£1.9M

-15.13%

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

$23.4K MX$407.7K

$33.5K E£1.8M

-30.12%

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

$84.0 MX$1,461

$11.40 E£600

636.75%

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

$22.21 MX$386

$5.76 E£303

285.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$516

$10.16 E£535

191.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$915

$21.92 E£1,153

140.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$319

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$86.0

$2.93 E£154

68.94%

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

$198 MX$3,449

$23.24 E£1,223

753.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.5K

$997 E£52.4K

433.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$625

$15.83 E£833

127.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$697

$19.70 E£1,037

103.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,370

$108 E£5,699

-27.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,504

$50.6 E£2,663

70.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$17.0K

$191 E£10.0K

412.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,186

$98.2 E£5,169

379.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.7K

$315 E£16.6K

406.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$178 E£9,381

581.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$70.1K

$783 E£41.2K

414.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.4K

$407 E£21.4K

1517.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

$95.9 E£5,048

644.39%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Imbabah: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 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 644% 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 in Playa del Carmen versus $16 in Imbabah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $91 – 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: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, $421 in Imbabah – roughly 199% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,891 per month in Playa del Carmen and $632 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 178% 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 $421, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,261. 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 $421 in Imbabah to $1,261 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.