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: $691 in Ait Melloul versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,084 in Ait Melloul versus $2,177 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,477 in Ait Melloul versus $3,095 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ait Melloul costs roughly 45% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ait Melloul 48% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.37 MAD 40.84

$11.95 MX$209

-63.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.22 MAD 236

$41.94 MX$733

-39.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 MAD 65.0

$10.42 MX$182

-33.30%

Cappuccino

$2.17 MAD 20.32

$3.51 MX$61.4

-38.18%

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

$0.62 MAD 5.76

$1.52 MX$26.50

-59.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 MAD 3.03

$0.91 MX$15.91

-64.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.86 MAD 36.10

$3.04 MX$53.1

26.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MAD 34.47

$4.37 MX$76.4

-15.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 MAD 8.15

$1.42 MX$24.84

-38.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 MAD 4.91

$1.83 MX$32.00

-71.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 MAD 15.41

$1.63 MX$28.57

1.23%

Eggs

$1.81 MAD 16.89

$2.54 MX$44.38

-28.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.38 MAD 87.8

$8.57 MX$150

9.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.11 MAD 47.81

$8.49 MX$148

-39.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.98 MAD 103

$10.80 MX$189

1.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.36 MAD 12.69

$2.75 MX$48.14

-50.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 MAD 11.30

$1.44 MX$25.10

-15.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 MAD 8.81

$1.89 MX$32.97

-50.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.82 MAD 7.67

$2.17 MX$37.93

-62.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 MAD 6.84

$1.78 MX$31.10

-58.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 MAD 7.32

$2.22 MX$38.87

-64.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 MAD 3.66

$1.07 MX$18.68

-63.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 MAD 5.58

$1.08 MX$18.87

-44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 MAD 39.54

$4.15 MX$72.5

1.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.11 MAD 66.5

$10.45 MX$183

-31.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 MAD 25.34

$1.74 MX$30.47

55.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 MAD 28.29

$2.58 MX$45.11

17.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MAD 4.70

$0.51 MX$8.97

-1.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.20 MAD 152

$25.94 MX$453

-37.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 MAD 6.30

$3.21 MX$56.1

-79.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MAD 4.85

$2.50 MX$43.73

-79.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.63 MAD 52.7

$3.19 MX$55.7

76.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MAD 14.84

$1.26 MX$21.96

26.19%

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

$37.8K MAD 354.0K

$29.7K MX$518.8K

27.47%

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

$20.3K MAD 190.1K

$23.7K MX$413.9K

-14.20%

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

$28.39 MAD 266

$82.0 MX$1,434

-65.39%

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

$10.85 MAD 101

$22.73 MX$397

-52.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.46 MAD 266

$29.42 MX$514

-3.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.78 MAD 232

$52.2 MX$912

-52.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.93 MAD 214

$18.45 MX$322

24.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 MAD 60.1

$4.93 MX$86.2

30.43%

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

$77.0 MAD 720

$202 MX$3,526

-61.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,983 MAD 18.6K

$5,217 MX$91.2K

-61.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.02 MAD 393

$35.93 MX$628

16.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 MAD 371

$40.33 MX$705

-1.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.67 MAD 446

$79.9 MX$1,396

-40.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.56 MAD 445

$89.3 MX$1,561

-46.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$275 MAD 2,574

$948 MX$16.6K

-70.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 MAD 1,640

$465 MX$8,132

-62.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 MAD 4,757

$1,630 MX$28.5K

-68.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 MAD 2,855

$1,193 MX$20.8K

-74.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,336 MAD 12.5K

$3,933 MX$68.7K

-66.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,006 MAD 9,410

$6,428 MX$112.3K

-84.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$374 MAD 3,500

$658 MX$11.5K

-43.17%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $275 in Ait Melloul and $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 76% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $252 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 82% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 76% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $275 in Ait Melloul versus $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $77.0 in Ait Melloul versus $202 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 38% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $691 in Ait Melloul versus $1,259 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 82% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.