Cost of Living Comparison Between Al `arish and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Al `arish and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $466 in Al `arish versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $729 in Al `arish versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $993 in Al `arish versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Al `arish costs roughly 63% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al `arish 65% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.06 E£208

$11.87 MX$204

-65.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.87 E£708

$42.90 MX$736

-67.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 E£274

$10.65 MX$183

-49.58%

Cappuccino

$1.45 E£74.2

$3.45 MX$59.2

-57.97%

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

$0.42 E£21.28

$1.50 MX$25.81

-72.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 E£6.28

$0.95 MX$16.28

-87.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 E£66.4

$3.03 MX$51.9

-57.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 E£98.4

$4.61 MX$79.1

-58.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 E£49.79

$1.38 MX$23.61

-29.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 E£23.89

$1.85 MX$31.70

-74.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.72 E£36.71

$1.61 MX$27.65

-55.28%

Eggs

$1.57 E£80.0

$2.59 MX$44.51

-39.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.96 E£100

$8.26 MX$142

-76.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.16 E£213

$8.37 MX$144

-50.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.30 E£424

$10.66 MX$183

-22.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.45 E£74.2

$2.63 MX$45.12

-44.87%

Banana (1kg)

$0.60 E£30.75

$1.49 MX$25.53

-59.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.38 E£19.49

$1.92 MX$32.94

-80.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.37 E£18.84

$2.09 MX$35.81

-82.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 E£25.67

$1.86 MX$31.88

-73.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 E£25.49

$2.26 MX$38.81

-77.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.27 E£13.72

$1.06 MX$18.23

-74.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.17 E£8.59

$1.09 MX$18.67

-84.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.89 E£96.7

$4.15 MX$71.2

-54.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.27 E£218

$10.39 MX$178

-58.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 E£75.1

$1.72 MX$29.59

-14.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 E£83.9

$2.61 MX$44.85

-37.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 E£8.32

$0.54 MX$9.30

-70.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 E£15.87

$3.13 MX$53.7

-90.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 E£11.74

$2.51 MX$43.09

-90.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 E£99.9

$3.15 MX$54.1

-37.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 E£17.08

$1.27 MX$21.88

-74.02%

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

$30.8K E£1.6M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

1.25%

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

$36.2K E£1.9M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

53.78%

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

$19.68 E£1,005

$83.0 MX$1,425

-76.29%

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

$7.27 E£371

$22.71 MX$390

-67.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.63 E£543

$29.46 MX$506

-63.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.07 E£1,127

$51.0 MX$875

-56.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$6.87 E£351

$4.93 MX$84.5

39.35%

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

$97.0 E£4,954

$197 MX$3,386

-50.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,599 E£132.7K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-50.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.96 E£866

$36.90 MX$633

-54.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.0 E£3,166

$39.89 MX$685

55.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 E£4,252

$80.0 MX$1,373

4.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.3 E£2,567

$89.5 MX$1,536

-43.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$192 E£9,793

$956 MX$16.4K

-79.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 E£5,136

$477 MX$8,189

-78.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$304 E£15.5K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-81.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 E£9,114

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-85.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$871 E£44.5K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-77.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$462 E£23.6K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-92.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.33

11.42

104.29%

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

Last update for Al `arish: June 9, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $192 in Al `arish and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $14.00 in Al `arish vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $114 vs $250 per month, with Al `arish 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

Al `arish vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al `arish wins on cost – living expenses run 173% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al `arish the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $698 in Al `arish and $1,906 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: $192 in Al `arish versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 119% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $466 per month in Al `arish versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – a 173% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $466 in Al `arish versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al `arish but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Al `arish the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al `arish delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $466 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al `arish hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Al `arish gentler on the wallet – expenses run 173% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.