Cost of Living Comparison Between Ait Melloul and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Ait Melloul and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $673 in Ait Melloul versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,062 in Ait Melloul versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,450 in Ait Melloul versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ait Melloul costs roughly 47% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ait Melloul 50% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 MAD 40.86

$11.87 MX$207

-62.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.47 MAD 236

$42.90 MX$749

-40.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.11 MAD 65.7

$10.65 MX$186

-33.24%

Cappuccino

$2.13 MAD 19.68

$3.45 MX$60.2

-38.26%

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

$0.63 MAD 5.80

$1.50 MX$26.27

-58.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 MAD 3.02

$0.95 MX$16.57

-65.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.78 MAD 34.96

$3.03 MX$52.9

24.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 MAD 34.19

$4.61 MX$80.5

-19.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 MAD 8.73

$1.38 MX$24.03

-31.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 MAD 4.60

$1.85 MX$32.27

-72.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MAD 15.08

$1.61 MX$28.14

1.24%

Eggs

$1.88 MAD 17.43

$2.59 MX$45.30

-27.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 MAD 87.9

$8.26 MX$144

15.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.08 MAD 46.96

$8.37 MX$146

-39.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.13 MAD 103

$10.66 MX$186

4.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 MAD 13.20

$2.63 MX$45.93

-45.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 MAD 11.76

$1.49 MX$25.99

-14.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 MAD 8.36

$1.92 MX$33.53

-53.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.83 MAD 7.65

$2.09 MX$36.44

-60.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 MAD 6.83

$1.86 MX$32.44

-60.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 MAD 7.33

$2.26 MX$39.50

-65.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 MAD 3.61

$1.06 MX$18.56

-63.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 MAD 5.86

$1.09 MX$19.00

-42.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 MAD 37.40

$4.15 MX$72.5

-2.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 MAD 65.9

$10.39 MX$182

-31.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 MAD 25.07

$1.72 MX$30.12

57.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MAD 27.05

$2.61 MX$45.64

11.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MAD 4.70

$0.54 MX$9.46

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.18 MAD 150

$26.94 MX$471

-39.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 MAD 6.22

$3.13 MX$54.6

-78.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MAD 4.85

$2.51 MX$43.85

-79.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MAD 49.97

$3.15 MX$55.0

71.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MAD 14.71

$1.27 MX$22.27

25.20%

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

$36.9K MAD 341.3K

$30.4K MX$530.6K

21.50%

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

$20.4K MAD 189.0K

$23.6K MX$411.7K

-13.31%

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

$28.46 MAD 263

$83.0 MX$1,450

-65.71%

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

$10.82 MAD 100

$22.71 MX$397

-52.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.00 MAD 259

$29.46 MX$515

-4.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.12 MAD 223

$51.0 MX$891

-52.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.92 MAD 212

$18.33 MX$320

25.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 MAD 62.5

$4.93 MX$86.0

37.12%

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

$75.7 MAD 701

$197 MX$3,447

-61.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,959 MAD 18.1K

$5,280 MX$92.2K

-62.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.21 MAD 400

$36.90 MX$645

17.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.80 MAD 368

$39.89 MX$697

-0.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.57 MAD 440

$80.0 MX$1,398

-40.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.11 MAD 436

$89.5 MX$1,563

-47.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 MAD 2,588

$956 MX$16.7K

-70.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 MAD 1,612

$477 MX$8,334

-63.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 MAD 4,747

$1,646 MX$28.8K

-68.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 MAD 2,873

$1,225 MX$21.4K

-74.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,591 MAD 14.7K

$3,918 MX$68.4K

-59.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$947 MAD 8,763

$6,459 MX$112.8K

-85.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$376 MAD 3,481

$667 MX$11.7K

-43.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.75

11.42

-58.41%

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

Last update for Ait Melloul: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $280 in Ait Melloul and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 77% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $25.00 in Ait Melloul vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $250 per month, with Ait Melloul 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

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

Ait Melloul is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 77% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $280 in Ait Melloul versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $75.7 in Ait Melloul versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $673 in Ait Melloul versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ait Melloul but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ait Melloul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ait Melloul 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, Ait Melloul 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 Ait Melloul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.