Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Jubayhah and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Jubayhah and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $952 per month in Al Jubayhah vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,482 per month in Al Jubayhah vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,012 per month in Al Jubayhah vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Al Jubayhah is about 24% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Al Jubayhah and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Al Jubayhah 29% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.09 JOD 5.02

$11.99 MX$210

-40.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.41 JOD 34.26

$41.78 MX$733

15.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.11 JOD 5.03

$10.75 MX$189

-33.86%

Cappuccino

$4.22 JOD 2.99

$3.50 MX$61.3

20.57%

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

$0.47 JOD 0.34

$1.45 MX$25.41

-67.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 JOD 0.24

$0.88 MX$15.52

-60.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.58 JOD 3.95

$2.95 MX$51.7

89.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 JOD 4.91

$4.51 MX$79.1

53.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 JOD 1.00

$1.43 MX$25.12

-1.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 JOD 0.36

$1.84 MX$32.23

-72.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 JOD 1.16

$1.57 MX$27.51

4.46%

Eggs

$2.54 JOD 1.80

$2.51 MX$44.06

1.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.62 JOD 4.68

$8.28 MX$145

-20.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 JOD 2.96

$8.43 MX$148

-50.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 JOD 8.02

$10.68 MX$187

6.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 JOD 1.41

$2.61 MX$45.76

-23.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 JOD 1.25

$1.44 MX$25.22

22.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 JOD 1.05

$1.96 MX$34.41

-24.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 JOD 0.56

$2.09 MX$36.74

-62.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 JOD 0.66

$1.85 MX$32.47

-49.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 JOD 0.49

$2.17 MX$38.02

-68.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 JOD 0.43

$1.03 MX$18.09

-40.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 JOD 0.42

$1.07 MX$18.84

-44.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 JOD 2.41

$4.10 MX$72.0

-17.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.11 JOD 14.94

$10.17 MX$178

107.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.82 JOD 3.41

$1.68 MX$29.38

186.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.34 JOD 3.78

$2.53 MX$44.31

111.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 JOD 0.52

$0.51 MX$8.93

43.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 JOD 0.49

$3.23 MX$56.7

-78.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 JOD 0.98

$2.41 MX$42.19

-42.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 JOD 4.94

$3.23 MX$56.6

116.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 JOD 1.04

$1.32 MX$23.17

11.36%

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

$27.6K JOD 19.5K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-7.13%

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

$31.9K JOD 22.6K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

34.75%

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

$104 JOD 73.7

$82.0 MX$1,439

26.92%

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

$17.24 JOD 12.20

$22.95 MX$403

-24.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.07 JOD 22.70

$30.11 MX$528

6.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 JOD 7.86

$4.98 MX$87.3

122.89%

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

$270 JOD 191

$197 MX$3,463

36.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,489 JOD 3,885

$5,336 MX$93.6K

2.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.8 JOD 44.43

$35.60 MX$624

76.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.7 JOD 40.82

$40.33 MX$707

43.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 JOD 79.4

$78.8 MX$1,381

42.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 JOD 57.1

$88.9 MX$1,560

-9.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 JOD 196

$947 MX$16.6K

-70.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$215 JOD 152

$474 MX$8,314

-54.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 JOD 284

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-75.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 JOD 253

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-70.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.27

11.42

-36.34%

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

Last update for Al Jubayhah: July 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $277 in Al Jubayhah versus $947 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 $48.00 in Al Jubayhah versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $232 in Al Jubayhah vs $249 in Playa del Carmen – so Al Jubayhah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 32% more than Al Jubayhah, with the gap driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,428 per month in Al Jubayhah and $1,884 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 Jubayhah, 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 $48.00 in Al Jubayhah 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 7% 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 Jubayhah, where all-in costs run around $952, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Al Jubayhah 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 Jubayhah costs $952 versus $1,256 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 Jubayhah. 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.