Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-hawamidiyah and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-hawamidiyah and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $465 per month in Al-hawamidiyah vs $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $755 per month in Al-hawamidiyah vs $2,130 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,045 per month in Al-hawamidiyah vs $2,999 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Al-hawamidiyah is about 63% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Al-hawamidiyah and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Al-hawamidiyah 65% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.62 E£190

$11.67 MX$203

-68.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.74 E£828

$41.88 MX$728

-62.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.70 E£247

$10.40 MX$181

-54.81%

Cappuccino

$1.48 E£78.1

$3.61 MX$62.9

-59.00%

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

$0.29 E£15.00

$1.47 MX$25.54

-80.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 E£6.36

$0.91 MX$15.86

-86.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 E£64.3

$3.03 MX$52.8

-59.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 E£156

$4.47 MX$77.7

-33.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 E£45.36

$1.38 MX$23.91

-37.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 E£38.17

$1.84 MX$32.04

-60.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.65 E£34.09

$1.61 MX$27.91

-59.63%

Eggs

$1.45 E£76.4

$2.57 MX$44.67

-43.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.95 E£208

$8.49 MX$148

-53.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.46 E£235

$8.49 MX$148

-47.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.80 E£516

$10.99 MX$191

-10.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 E£75.3

$2.73 MX$47.42

-47.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.55 E£28.84

$1.50 MX$26.01

-63.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.42 E£22.27

$1.96 MX$34.05

-78.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.37 E£19.31

$2.12 MX$36.83

-82.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 E£19.98

$1.86 MX$32.41

-79.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 E£22.88

$2.17 MX$37.80

-80.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.24 E£12.68

$1.07 MX$18.65

-77.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 E£11.33

$1.05 MX$18.24

-79.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.02 E£106

$4.19 MX$72.9

-51.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.97 E£262

$10.28 MX$179

-51.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 E£74.5

$1.67 MX$28.97

-14.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 E£141

$2.49 MX$43.27

8.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 E£10.10

$0.54 MX$9.41

-64.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.56 E£29.56

$3.10 MX$54.0

-81.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 E£24.07

$2.46 MX$42.81

-81.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 E£106

$3.24 MX$56.3

-37.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.31 E£16.15

$1.26 MX$21.91

-75.40%

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

$35.0K E£1.8M

$30.2K MX$524.6K

16.01%

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

$33.8K E£1.8M

$23.4K MX$407.7K

44.16%

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

$11.50 E£605

$84.0 MX$1,461

-86.31%

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

$5.66 E£298

$22.21 MX$386

-74.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.09 E£531

$29.65 MX$516

-65.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.05 E£1,160

$52.6 MX$915

-58.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$319

Cinema Ticket

$3.03 E£160

$4.95 MX$86.0

-38.79%

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

$88.1 E£4,635

$198 MX$3,449

-55.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,870 E£98.4K

$5,322 MX$92.5K

-64.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.03 E£1,475

$35.95 MX$625

-22.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.65 E£2,560

$40.06 MX$697

21.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 E£5,601

$78.8 MX$1,370

35.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.0 E£2,685

$86.5 MX$1,504

-41.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$188 E£9,884

$977 MX$17.0K

-80.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$100 E£5,278

$471 MX$8,186

-78.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$312 E£16.4K

$1,595 MX$27.7K

-80.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 E£9,264

$1,215 MX$21.1K

-85.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$764 E£40.2K

$4,032 MX$70.1K

-81.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$434 E£22.9K

$6,579 MX$114.4K

-93.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

48.86%

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

Last update for Al-hawamidiyah: April 22, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $188 in Al-hawamidiyah versus $977 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Al-hawamidiyah versus $42 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $130 vs $252 – making Al-hawamidiyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 171% more than Al-hawamidiyah, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $698 per month in Al-hawamidiyah and $1,891 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al-hawamidiyah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Al-hawamidiyah and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 94% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Al-hawamidiyah, where all-in costs run around $465, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,261. In Al-hawamidiyah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Al-hawamidiyah costs $465 versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Al-hawamidiyah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.