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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,103 in Al Muharraq versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,642 in Al Muharraq versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,181 in Al Muharraq versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Al Muharraq costs roughly 13% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al Muharraq 19% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.61 BHD 0.98

$11.60 MX$199

-77.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.60 BHD 10.02

$47.11 MX$809

-43.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.04 BHD 2.28

$11.88 MX$204

-49.16%

Cappuccino

$3.97 BHD 1.50

$3.98 MX$68.2

-0.25%

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

$0.90 BHD 0.34

$1.43 MX$24.49

-37.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 BHD 0.12

$0.82 MX$14.16

-60.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.72 BHD 2.53

$3.19 MX$54.7

110.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 BHD 2.57

$6.79 MX$117

0.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 BHD 0.51

$1.68 MX$28.76

-19.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 BHD 0.42

$2.20 MX$37.71

-49.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 BHD 0.89

$1.71 MX$29.32

38.01%

Eggs

$2.21 BHD 0.83

$2.74 MX$47.05

-19.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.61 BHD 1.36

$9.58 MX$164

-62.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.75 BHD 1.79

$9.01 MX$155

-47.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.56 BHD 3.23

$12.81 MX$220

-33.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.04 BHD 0.39

$2.89 MX$49.58

-64.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 BHD 0.71

$1.50 MX$25.70

24.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 BHD 0.41

$2.15 MX$36.87

-49.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 BHD 0.54

$2.26 MX$38.79

-36.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 BHD 0.40

$1.98 MX$34.00

-46.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 BHD 0.19

$1.99 MX$34.15

-74.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 BHD 0.21

$1.23 MX$21.18

-56.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 BHD 0.19

$1.20 MX$20.54

-57.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 BHD 2.00

$4.55 MX$78.1

16.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 BHD 7.08

$10.37 MX$178

81.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.64 BHD 1.37

$1.62 MX$27.79

124.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 BHD 1.02

$2.88 MX$49.44

-5.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 BHD 2.05

$5.39 MX$92.5

1.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 BHD 0.51

$3.73 MX$64.0

-63.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 BHD 1.96

$5.77 MX$99.0

-9.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 BHD 0.19

$1.54 MX$26.37

-67.53%

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

$36.8K BHD 13.9K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

63.26%

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

$20.5K BHD 7,720

$26.1K MX$447.3K

-21.40%

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

$155 BHD 58.3

$91.4 MX$1,569

69.29%

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

$21.54 BHD 8.12

$25.20 MX$433

-14.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.72 BHD 13.46

$31.24 MX$536

14.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$10.71 BHD 4.04

$4.86 MX$83.5

120.37%

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

$489 BHD 184

$224 MX$3,839

118.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K BHD 4,196

$4,229 MX$72.6K

163.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 BHD 18.98

$47.10 MX$808

6.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.1 BHD 21.88

$44.29 MX$760

31.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.9 BHD 32.75

$80.1 MX$1,375

8.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.4 BHD 33.68

$92.7 MX$1,591

-3.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$463 BHD 175

$1,063 MX$18.2K

-56.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 BHD 140

$390 MX$6,698

-4.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 BHD 379

$2,149 MX$36.9K

-53.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$734 BHD 277

$1,272 MX$21.8K

-42.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,967 BHD 741

$4,001 MX$68.7K

-50.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,565 BHD 590

$6,502 MX$111.6K

-75.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,813 BHD 683

$758 MX$13.0K

139.13%

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 Muharraq: September 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $463 in Al Muharraq and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Muharraq pays 139% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27.00 in Al Muharraq vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $276 per month, with Al Muharraq 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 Muharraq vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Muharraq and Playa del Carmen differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,103 vs $1,266 including rent). Al Muharraq is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 139% higher in Al Muharraq, 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: $463 in Al Muharraq versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,103 per month in Al Muharraq versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,103 in Al Muharraq versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al Muharraq but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Al Muharraq the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Al Muharraq gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.