Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Hidd and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $1,787 in Al Hidd, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Al Hidd outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

86

Cost of Living Index in Al Hidd
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Al Hidd Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Al Hidd

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,787

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al Hidd and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Al Hidd and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,787 in Al Hidd versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Al Hidd $1,787
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,122 in Al Hidd versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Al Hidd $2,122
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,457 in Al Hidd versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Al Hidd $2,457
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Al Hidd is roughly 48% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Hidd is 32% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.26 BHD 1.99

$10.76 MX$199

-51.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.86 BHD 15.04

$43.03 MX$795

-7.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.59 BHD 2.86

$11.79 MX$218

-35.62%

Cappuccino

$3.68 BHD 1.39

$3.87 MX$71.4

-4.91%

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

$0.81 BHD 0.31

$1.37 MX$25.29

-40.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 BHD 0.06

$0.84 MX$15.44

-82.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 BHD 2.43

$3.10 MX$57.3

107.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 BHD 3.79

$5.07 MX$93.6

98.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 BHD 0.54

$1.44 MX$26.55

-0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 BHD 0.41

$2.23 MX$41.23

-51.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 BHD 0.86

$1.47 MX$27.17

55.78%

Eggs

$2.28 BHD 0.86

$2.53 MX$46.71

-9.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 BHD 3.24

$7.30 MX$135

17.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 BHD 2.05

$7.86 MX$145

-30.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.17 BHD 1.95

$12.79 MX$236

-59.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 BHD 0.87

$2.90 MX$53.6

-20.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 BHD 0.89

$1.44 MX$26.53

63.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 BHD 0.71

$2.55 MX$47.07

-26.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 BHD 0.54

$2.06 MX$38.03

-30.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 BHD 0.38

$2.00 MX$36.97

-49.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 BHD 0.52

$2.01 MX$37.07

-31.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 BHD 0.56

$1.19 MX$22.02

25.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 BHD 0.29

$1.26 MX$23.23

-38.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.32 BHD 2.01

$4.40 MX$81.4

20.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.21 BHD 6.87

$9.59 MX$177

89.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 BHD 1.38

$1.59 MX$29.41

130.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 BHD 1.02

$2.81 MX$51.9

-3.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 BHD 0.59

$0.57 MX$10.47

175.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.2 BHD 19.71

$27.82 MX$514

87.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 BHD 2.04

$4.98 MX$92.1

8.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.35 BHD 1.27

$3.50 MX$64.6

-4.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.64 BHD 5.90

$5.40 MX$99.8

189.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 BHD 0.22

$1.47 MX$27.08

-60.54%

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

$19.7K BHD 7,433

$21.0K MX$387.8K

-6.15%

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

$20.2K BHD 7,607

$23.9K MX$441.8K

-15.69%

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

$154 BHD 58.3

$84.2 MX$1,556

83.37%

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

$24.58 BHD 9.28

$23.99 MX$443

2.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.60 BHD 13.06

$29.02 MX$536

19.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$53.7 BHD 20.28

$29.14 MX$539

84.42%

Cinema Ticket

$10.51 BHD 3.97

$4.94 MX$91.3

112.75%

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

$495 BHD 187

$204 MX$3,763

143.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K BHD 4,209

$3,941 MX$72.8K

183.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 BHD 19.31

$43.60 MX$806

17.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 BHD 22.08

$43.12 MX$797

35.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 BHD 33.25

$75.8 MX$1,400

16.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.9 BHD 33.16

$88.6 MX$1,637

-0.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 BHD 250

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-34.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$945 BHD 357

$374 MX$6,911

152.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$799 BHD 302

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-53.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 BHD 246

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-41.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,932 BHD 729

$754 MX$13.9K

156.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

11.45

-45.76%

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

Last update for Al Hidd: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Al Hidd

$945 52.9%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 60.4% $571

Groceries & Markets

Al Hidd

$233 13.1%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 10.7% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Hidd

$214 12%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 35.8% $76

Eating Out

Al Hidd

$165 9.2%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 22.5% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Al Hidd

$129 7.2%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 12.1% $16

Getting Around

Al Hidd

$81 4.5%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 34.9% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Al Hidd

$21 * 1.2%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 247% $52

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $663 in Al Hidd and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Hidd pays 156% 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: $40.00 in Al Hidd vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $258 per month, with Al Hidd cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Al Hidd

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:03 6:03 AM

22:03 10:03 PM

8 h behind Al Hidd

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,797

149,923

💱 Currency

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BHD – Bahraini Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇭 Bahraini Dinar (.د.ب)

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.424 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to BHD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Al Hidd Playa del Carmen 13,090 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Al Hidd
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, transport, and utilities. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 156% higher in Al Hidd, 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: $663 in Al Hidd versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 88% less than in Al Hidd. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $495 in Al Hidd versus $204 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,787 in Al Hidd, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Al Hidd. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Al Hidd, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Al Hidd 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 48% less than in Al Hidd. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.