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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,773 in Ajman versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,108 in Ajman versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,444 in Ajman versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ajman is roughly 121% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ajman is 108% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 AED 22.61

$11.99 MX$210

-48.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.30 AED 100

$41.78 MX$731

-34.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.36 AED 30.72

$10.75 MX$188

-22.23%

Cappuccino

$3.81 AED 13.99

$3.50 MX$61.1

8.86%

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

$0.84 AED 3.07

$1.45 MX$25.33

-42.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 AED 1.38

$0.88 MX$15.47

-56.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.84 AED 39.81

$2.95 MX$51.6

267.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.01 AED 40.44

$4.51 MX$78.9

144.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 AED 8.35

$1.43 MX$25.04

58.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 AED 4.30

$1.84 MX$32.13

-36.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 AED 5.18

$1.57 MX$27.42

-10.19%

Eggs

$1.81 AED 6.65

$2.51 MX$43.92

-27.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 AED 33.77

$8.28 MX$145

10.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 AED 24.56

$8.43 MX$147

-20.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.50 AED 27.54

$10.68 MX$187

-29.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 AED 6.11

$2.61 MX$45.62

-36.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 AED 4.62

$1.44 MX$25.15

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 AED 5.29

$1.96 MX$34.31

-26.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 AED 3.82

$2.09 MX$36.62

-50.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 AED 3.44

$1.85 MX$32.37

-49.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.72

$2.17 MX$37.90

-53.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 AED 2.94

$1.03 MX$18.04

-22.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 AED 2.08

$1.07 MX$18.78

-46.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.22 AED 22.86

$4.10 MX$71.7

51.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 AED 40.75

$10.17 MX$178

9.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 AED 5.92

$1.68 MX$29.29

-4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 AED 10.03

$2.53 MX$44.17

7.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.15 AED 15.24

$0.51 MX$8.90

713.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.2 AED 232

$26.04 MX$455

142.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 AED 13.33

$3.23 MX$56.5

12.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 AED 2.53

$2.41 MX$42.06

-71.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.41 AED 30.90

$3.23 MX$56.5

160.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 AED 2.82

$1.32 MX$23.10

-41.67%

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

$45.0K AED 165.2K

$29.7K MX$519.2K

51.49%

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

$23.7K AED 86.9K

$23.7K MX$413.7K

-0.01%

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

$140 AED 516

$82.0 MX$1,434

71.28%

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

$60.7 AED 223

$22.95 MX$401

164.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$110 AED 403

$30.11 MX$527

264.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$164 AED 601

$52.0 MX$909

214.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.56 AED 13.06

$18.53 MX$324

-80.79%

Cinema Ticket

$13.85 AED 50.9

$4.98 MX$87.0

178.11%

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

$597 AED 2,192

$197 MX$3,452

202.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,646 AED 20.7K

$5,336 MX$93.3K

5.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 AED 215

$35.60 MX$622

64.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.7 AED 227

$40.33 MX$705

53.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 AED 312

$78.8 MX$1,377

7.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 AED 342

$88.9 MX$1,555

4.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,295 AED 12.1K

$947 MX$16.6K

247.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 AED 6,077

$474 MX$8,288

249.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,671 AED 20.8K

$1,644 MX$28.7K

245.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,335 AED 19.6K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

340.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,279 AED 8,370

$4,056 MX$70.9K

-43.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,413 AED 5,190

$6,470 MX$113.1K

-78.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,235 AED 8,207

$654 MX$11.4K

241.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

11.42

-60.33%

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

Last update for Ajman: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,295 in Ajman and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ajman pays 242% 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: $27.00 in Ajman vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $249 per month, with Ajman 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 121% lower than in Ajman. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 242% higher in Ajman, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,295 in Ajman versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $597 in Ajman versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ajman pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,773 in Ajman, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ajman. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,256 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ajman 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 121% less than in Ajman. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.