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: $679 in Ait Melloul versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,068 in Ait Melloul versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,457 in Ait Melloul versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ait Melloul costs roughly 48% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ait Melloul 51% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 MAD 35.85

$11.96 MX$203

-68.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.21 MAD 237

$47.38 MX$804

-46.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.30 MAD 59.2

$11.75 MX$199

-46.38%

Cappuccino

$2.19 MAD 20.62

$4.12 MX$70.0

-46.84%

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

$0.91 MAD 8.60

$1.40 MX$23.75

-35.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MAD 3.50

$0.91 MX$15.48

-59.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.22 MAD 49.03

$3.21 MX$54.4

62.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 MAD 43.89

$7.07 MX$120

-33.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 MAD 7.85

$1.68 MX$28.46

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 MAD 5.13

$2.15 MX$36.50

-74.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 MAD 14.56

$1.77 MX$30.11

-12.43%

Eggs

$1.73 MAD 16.26

$2.82 MX$47.78

-38.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.19 MAD 76.9

$9.20 MX$156

-10.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 MAD 51.1

$9.23 MX$157

-41.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.88 MAD 112

$12.64 MX$214

-6.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 MAD 12.19

$2.95 MX$50.1

-55.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 MAD 11.51

$1.58 MX$26.80

-22.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 MAD 8.71

$2.22 MX$37.72

-58.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 MAD 6.98

$2.36 MX$40.11

-68.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 MAD 7.09

$1.99 MX$33.82

-62.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 MAD 7.90

$1.98 MX$33.60

-57.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.26 MAD 2.46

$1.24 MX$21.05

-79.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MAD 5.28

$1.21 MX$20.56

-53.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 MAD 39.71

$4.60 MX$78.1

-8.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.16 MAD 76.7

$10.52 MX$179

-22.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 MAD 22.52

$1.69 MX$28.71

42.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 MAD 31.87

$2.77 MX$47.09

22.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MAD 4.96

$0.60 MX$10.23

-11.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.61 MAD 194

$29.70 MX$504

-30.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 MAD 5.91

$5.24 MX$88.9

-87.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 MAD 5.86

$3.65 MX$61.9

-83.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.31 MAD 68.7

$5.78 MX$98.2

26.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 MAD 14.08

$1.54 MX$26.11

-2.60%

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

$35.5K MAD 333.8K

$22.8K MX$387.0K

55.79%

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

$30.9K MAD 290.7K

$25.8K MX$438.1K

19.83%

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

$24.94 MAD 234

$90.7 MX$1,539

-72.49%

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

$9.62 MAD 90.4

$25.19 MX$428

-61.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.70 MAD 288

$31.75 MX$539

-3.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.77 MAD 223

$68.8 MX$1,168

-65.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.72 MAD 223

$29.37 MX$498

-19.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 MAD 50.4

$4.86 MX$82.5

10.29%

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

$73.0 MAD 686

$226 MX$3,830

-67.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,878 MAD 17.6K

$4,194 MX$71.2K

-55.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.13 MAD 311

$47.38 MX$804

-30.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.44 MAD 418

$43.45 MX$737

2.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.3 MAD 566

$80.2 MX$1,362

-24.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.41 MAD 446

$91.4 MX$1,551

-48.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 MAD 2,656

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-73.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$153 MAD 1,433

$409 MX$6,936

-62.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 MAD 4,524

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-75.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 MAD 2,274

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-81.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,180 MAD 11.1K

$4,046 MX$68.7K

-70.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$918 MAD 8,630

$6,704 MX$113.8K

-86.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

11.45

-69.43%

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

Last update for Ait Melloul: September 5, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $283 in Ait Melloul and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $25.00 in Ait Melloul vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $278 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 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,018 in Ait Melloul and $1,958 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: $283 in Ait Melloul versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $73.0 in Ait Melloul versus $226 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 52% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $679 in Ait Melloul versus $1,305 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 92% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.