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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,929 per month in Rabat vs $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Rabat vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,727 per month in Rabat vs $3,374 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rabat costs about 49% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Rabat sits 40% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.32 €14.89

$11.71 MX$198

47.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 €44.40

$46.59 MX$788

10.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 €9.82

$11.65 MX$197

-1.97%

Cappuccino

$2.38 €2.05

$4.09 MX$69.2

-41.81%

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

$2.55 €2.19

$1.37 MX$23.23

86.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.83 MX$14.09

112.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.52 €3.03

$3.35 MX$56.7

5.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €2.95

$6.91 MX$117

-50.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.01

$1.73 MX$29.20

-32.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.21

$2.26 MX$38.21

-37.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$1.77 MX$29.91

33.33%

Eggs

$3.77 €3.24

$2.73 MX$46.19

38.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 €7.38

$9.18 MX$155

-6.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.33 €7.16

$8.92 MX$151

-6.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.88 €11.07

$12.60 MX$213

2.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 €3.67

$3.02 MX$51.1

41.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 €1.95

$1.57 MX$26.55

43.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.84 €3.30

$2.13 MX$35.93

80.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.26 MX$38.28

5.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 €0.97

$2.00 MX$33.88

-43.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.06 MX$34.90

-44.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.18 MX$19.94

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.20 MX$20.35

-0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €5.99

$4.63 MX$78.4

50.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.32 €7.15

$10.69 MX$181

-22.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.62 MX$27.38

8.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 €2.15

$2.88 MX$48.70

-13.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 €2.44

$0.57 MX$9.69

398.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 €4.95

$5.45 MX$92.1

5.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 €2.03

$3.70 MX$62.6

-36.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.36 €23.52

$5.98 MX$101

357.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.32

$1.55 MX$26.26

-0.65%

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

$40.0K €34.4K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

79.14%

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

$40.5K €34.8K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

56.01%

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

$107 €92.0

$89.1 MX$1,507

20.07%

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

$12.92 €11.10

$25.04 MX$423

-48.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.09 €37.90

$31.50 MX$532

39.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 €55.3

$67.8 MX$1,146

-5.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 €19.74

$28.92 MX$489

-20.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.28 €8.84

$5.05 MX$85.4

103.56%

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

$387 €333

$225 MX$3,803

72.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K €9,967

$4,222 MX$71.4K

174.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.8 €78.9

$47.44 MX$802

93.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.62 €25.46

$44.98 MX$760

-34.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 €65.6

$82.0 MX$1,386

-6.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.9 €68.7

$92.1 MX$1,557

-13.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,334 €1,147

$1,069 MX$18.1K

24.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 €955

$405 MX$6,852

174.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,715 €1,474

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-11.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 €1,492

$1,301 MX$22.0K

33.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,341 €3,732

$3,995 MX$67.5K

8.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,244 €2,789

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-51.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,372 €1,180

$749 MX$12.7K

83.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

11.45

-74.67%

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

Last update for Rabat: September 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,334 in Rabat versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. 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 83% higher in Rabat, 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 $52.0 in Rabat versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $274 in Rabat vs $277 in Playa del Carmen – so Rabat wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Rabat vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rabat is pricier by about 49%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,893 per month in Rabat and $1,940 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, 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 $1,929 in Rabat and $1,293 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $387 per month in Rabat and $225 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,293, than in Rabat at $1,929. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rabat it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rabat makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.