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: $1,215 in Al Muharraq versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,732 in Al Muharraq versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,250 in Al Muharraq versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Al Muharraq costs roughly 4% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al Muharraq 10% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.03 BHD 1.52

$11.87 MX$204

-66.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.37 BHD 9.94

$42.90 MX$736

-38.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 BHD 2.04

$10.65 MX$183

-49.30%

Cappuccino

$4.09 BHD 1.54

$3.45 MX$59.2

18.55%

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

$0.79 BHD 0.30

$1.50 MX$25.81

-47.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 BHD 0.15

$0.95 MX$16.28

-57.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.17 BHD 1.95

$3.03 MX$51.9

70.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 BHD 2.96

$4.61 MX$79.1

70.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 BHD 0.49

$1.38 MX$23.61

-5.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 BHD 0.19

$1.85 MX$31.70

-71.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 BHD 0.87

$1.61 MX$27.65

44.10%

Eggs

$2.45 BHD 0.92

$2.59 MX$44.51

-5.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.63 BHD 1.74

$8.26 MX$142

-43.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 BHD 1.88

$8.37 MX$144

-40.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.16 BHD 3.07

$10.66 MX$183

-23.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 BHD 0.44

$2.63 MX$45.12

-55.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 BHD 0.60

$1.49 MX$25.53

7.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 BHD 0.40

$1.92 MX$32.94

-44.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 BHD 0.45

$2.09 MX$35.81

-42.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 BHD 0.29

$1.86 MX$31.88

-59.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 BHD 0.20

$2.26 MX$38.81

-76.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 BHD 0.44

$1.06 MX$18.23

11.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 BHD 0.21

$1.09 MX$18.67

-49.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 BHD 2.04

$4.15 MX$71.2

30.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.21 BHD 6.86

$10.39 MX$178

75.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 BHD 1.28

$1.72 MX$29.59

97.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 BHD 1.25

$2.61 MX$44.85

26.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 BHD 0.30

$0.54 MX$9.30

46.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 BHD 1.80

$3.13 MX$53.7

52.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 BHD 1.03

$2.51 MX$43.09

8.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 BHD 1.98

$3.15 MX$54.1

66.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 BHD 0.17

$1.27 MX$21.88

-63.78%

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

$36.8K BHD 13.9K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

21.10%

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

$16.0K BHD 6,049

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-31.90%

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

$105 BHD 39.66

$83.0 MX$1,425

26.78%

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

$21.00 BHD 7.91

$22.71 MX$390

-7.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.01 BHD 14.33

$29.46 MX$506

29.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 BHD 19.92

$51.0 MX$875

3.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$7.25 BHD 2.73

$4.93 MX$84.5

47.06%

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

$388 BHD 146

$197 MX$3,386

96.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,027 BHD 2,271

$5,280 MX$90.6K

14.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.32 BHD 9.92

$36.90 MX$633

-28.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.6 BHD 23.98

$39.89 MX$685

59.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 BHD 31.57

$80.0 MX$1,373

4.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.8 BHD 33.85

$89.5 MX$1,536

0.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 BHD 233

$956 MX$16.4K

-35.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 BHD 192

$477 MX$8,189

6.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 BHD 367

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-40.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$804 BHD 303

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-34.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,003 BHD 755

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-48.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,598 BHD 602

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-75.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,561 BHD 588

$667 MX$11.4K

134.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.56

11.42

-25.04%

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

Last update for Al Muharraq: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Al Muharraq and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Muharraq pays 134% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Al Muharraq vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $250 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 5% in total monthly costs ($1,215 vs $1,271 including rent). Al Muharraq is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Al Muharraq pays 134% more on average, 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: $618 in Al Muharraq 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 24% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,215 per month in Al Muharraq versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,215 in Al Muharraq versus $1,271 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 5% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.