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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $809 in Adam versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,201 in Adam versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,593 in Adam versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Adam costs roughly 36% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Adam 40% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.31 OMR 2.04

$11.87 MX$204

-55.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.54 OMR 9.83

$42.90 MX$736

-40.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.78 OMR 3.00

$10.65 MX$183

-26.95%

Cappuccino

$4.92 OMR 1.89

$3.45 MX$59.2

42.61%

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

$1.05 OMR 0.40

$1.50 MX$25.81

-30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 OMR 0.13

$0.95 MX$16.28

-64.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.11 OMR 4.66

$3.03 MX$51.9

299.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.80 OMR 4.54

$4.61 MX$79.1

155.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 OMR 0.73

$1.38 MX$23.61

37.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 OMR 0.46

$1.85 MX$31.70

-35.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 OMR 0.64

$1.61 MX$27.65

3.73%

Eggs

$2.34 OMR 0.90

$2.59 MX$44.51

-9.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.71 OMR 1.43

$8.26 MX$142

-55.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.97 OMR 1.91

$8.37 MX$144

-40.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.56 OMR 3.29

$10.66 MX$183

-19.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 OMR 0.96

$2.63 MX$45.12

-4.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 OMR 0.67

$1.49 MX$25.53

17.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 OMR 0.71

$1.92 MX$32.94

-3.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 OMR 0.45

$2.09 MX$35.81

-43.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 OMR 0.38

$1.86 MX$31.88

-46.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 OMR 0.40

$2.26 MX$38.81

-54.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 OMR 0.40

$1.06 MX$18.23

-1.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 OMR 0.20

$1.09 MX$18.67

-52.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 OMR 2.52

$4.15 MX$71.2

57.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.50 OMR 5.97

$10.39 MX$178

49.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 OMR 1.62

$1.72 MX$29.59

145.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.58 OMR 2.92

$2.61 MX$44.85

190.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 OMR 1.22

$3.13 MX$53.7

1.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 OMR 0.31

$2.51 MX$43.09

-68.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.54 OMR 4.06

$3.15 MX$54.1

234.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 OMR 0.23

$1.27 MX$21.88

-51.97%

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

$23.2K OMR 8,938

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-23.54%

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

$21.8K OMR 8,400

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-7.39%

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

$107 OMR 41.21

$83.0 MX$1,425

28.99%

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

$41.52 OMR 15.98

$22.71 MX$390

82.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.8 OMR 27.25

$29.46 MX$506

140.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$10.26 OMR 3.95

$4.93 MX$84.5

108.11%

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

$189 OMR 72.9

$197 MX$3,386

-4.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,873 OMR 3,800

$5,280 MX$90.6K

87.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.0 OMR 19.26

$36.90 MX$633

35.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.87 OMR 15.35

$39.89 MX$685

-0.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 OMR 30.61

$80.0 MX$1,373

-0.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 OMR 34.09

$89.5 MX$1,536

-1.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,625 OMR 1,010

$667 MX$11.4K

293.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.15

11.42

-54.90%

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

Last update for Adam: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Adam pays 294% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Adam vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $250 per month, with Adam cheaper across the board.

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

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

Adam is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Adam pays 294% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $189 in Adam versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Adam – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $809 in Adam versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Adam but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Adam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Adam is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Adam and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Adam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.