Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and San Francisco de Macoris Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and San Francisco de Macoris

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $618 in San Francisco de Macoris, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $979 in San Francisco de Macoris, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,341 in San Francisco de Macoris, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 104% more than San Francisco de Macoris, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and San Francisco de Macoris are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, San Francisco de Macoris 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$3.71 DOP 216

215.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$13.61 DOP 791

207.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.67 DOP 387

57.57%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.54 DOP 148

41.34%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.58 DOP 33.68

160.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.53 DOP 31.00

73.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.14 DOP 124

38.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.48 DOP 144

77.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.19 DOP 68.9

17.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.74 DOP 101

8.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.10 DOP 63.8

41.82%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.40 DOP 81.3

86.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$4.01 DOP 233

107.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.50 DOP 204

138.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$6.66 DOP 387

63.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.60 DOP 151

4.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$0.77 DOP 44.99

96.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.29 DOP 74.9

44.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.86 DOP 50.2

154.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.16 DOP 67.4

60.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.24 DOP 71.8

79.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.58 DOP 33.61

84.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.98 DOP 56.7

11.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$3.47 DOP 202

20.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$10.60 DOP 616

-1.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.65 DOP 154

-37.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$3.12 DOP 181

-16.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.61 DOP 35.32

-11.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$3.35 DOP 195

-8.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.02 DOP 117

18.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$5.84 DOP 340

-46.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.12 DOP 65.2

16.96%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$26.7K DOP 1.6M

11.53%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$31.5K DOP 1.8M

-25.96%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$39.55 DOP 2,298

105.51%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$8.35 DOP 485

170.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$35.88 DOP 2,085

-16.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$16.84 DOP 979

214.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$8.41 DOP 489

118.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$4.34 DOP 252

13.36%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$169 DOP 9,823

18.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$2,003 DOP 116.4K

158.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$25.10 DOP 1,458

43.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$52.0 DOP 3,020

-22.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$67.2 DOP 3,904

18.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$68.5 DOP 3,979

26.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$161 DOP 9,363

507.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$107 DOP 6,215

339.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$339 DOP 19.7K

386.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$261 DOP 15.2K

361.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

12.9

-11.47%

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 San Francisco de Macoris: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $161 in San Francisco de Macoris. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $14.00 in San Francisco de Macoris. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $177 – making San Francisco de Macoris 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 San Francisco de Macoris: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 104%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $927 in San Francisco de Macoris. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $618 in San Francisco de Macoris. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $169 in San Francisco de Macoris. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Francisco de Macoris, where all-in costs run around $618, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In San Francisco de Macoris it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Francisco de Macoris – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with San Francisco de Macoris. 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.