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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,157 in Afula versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,768 in Afula versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,379 in Afula versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Afula is roughly 71% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Afula is 62% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.22 ₪67.9

$11.72 MX$203

89.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.9 ₪272

$41.89 MX$725

112.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.06 ₪52.1

$10.51 MX$182

62.32%

Cappuccino

$4.46 ₪13.64

$3.59 MX$62.0

24.23%

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

$3.16 ₪9.66

$1.51 MX$26.10

109.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₪7.11

$0.92 MX$15.83

153.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 ₪26.29

$2.96 MX$51.2

190.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.12 ₪30.94

$4.41 MX$76.3

129.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₪5.87

$1.40 MX$24.16

37.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₪4.39

$1.88 MX$32.60

-23.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 ₪7.04

$1.56 MX$26.97

47.44%

Eggs

$4.02 ₪12.27

$2.61 MX$45.14

54.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 ₪39.73

$8.32 MX$144

56.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 ₪27.06

$8.35 MX$145

6.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.30 ₪34.55

$10.86 MX$188

4.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 ₪7.62

$2.71 MX$46.93

-8.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ₪5.19

$1.51 MX$26.04

12.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ₪5.21

$1.87 MX$32.41

-8.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 ₪5.71

$2.19 MX$37.89

-14.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 ₪3.51

$1.86 MX$32.14

-38.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 ₪3.18

$2.23 MX$38.59

-53.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 ₪6.61

$1.07 MX$18.48

101.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₪3.39

$1.09 MX$18.79

1.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.70 ₪26.58

$4.19 MX$72.4

107.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.95 ₪39.58

$10.43 MX$180

24.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₪8.40

$1.66 MX$28.68

65.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ₪11.11

$2.61 MX$45.19

39.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 ₪4.83

$0.54 MX$9.37

192.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.43 ₪86.9

$26.16 MX$453

8.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 ₪12.66

$3.08 MX$53.3

34.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 ₪2.46

$2.40 MX$41.61

-66.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.05 ₪128

$3.13 MX$54.1

1243.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 ₪5.98

$1.31 MX$22.69

49.62%

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

$39.2K ₪119.7K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

31.45%

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

$46.2K ₪141.3K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

98.24%

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

$186 ₪567

$81.3 MX$1,406

128.47%

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

$11.25 ₪34.37

$22.56 MX$390

-50.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.44 ₪68.6

$30.05 MX$520

-25.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.39 ₪130

$52.9 MX$915

-19.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.43 ₪56.3

$18.39 MX$318

0.22%

Cinema Ticket

$12.44 ₪38.02

$4.92 MX$85.1

152.85%

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

$848 ₪2,590

$201 MX$3,474

322.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K ₪56.4K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

256.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 ₪259

$35.92 MX$622

135.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 ₪190

$40.13 MX$694

55.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 ₪413

$79.7 MX$1,379

69.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 ₪507

$86.5 MX$1,496

92.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 ₪3,069

$978 MX$16.9K

2.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$937 ₪2,862

$470 MX$8,140

99.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$987 ₪3,015

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-40.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 ₪2,043

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-44.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,904 ₪30.3K

$3,953 MX$68.4K

150.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,136 ₪21.8K

$6,607 MX$114.3K

7.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-73.73%

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

Last update for Afula: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,004 in Afula and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $89.0 in Afula vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $252 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Afula and Playa del Carmen differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($2,157 vs $1,260 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,235 in Afula and $1,890 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,004 in Afula versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Afula. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $89.0 in Afula. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,157 in Afula, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Afula. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Afula 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Afula. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.