Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Mukalla and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Mukalla: $842 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Playa del Carmen outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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

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Al Mukalla

🇾🇪 Yemen

$842

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al Mukalla 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 Mukalla and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $842 in Al Mukalla versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Al Mukalla $842
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,654 in Al Mukalla versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Al Mukalla $1,654
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,466 in Al Mukalla versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Al Mukalla $2,466
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Al Mukalla costs roughly 30% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al Mukalla 38% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 YER 3,983

$10.86 MX$201

55.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 YER 20.0K

$44.21 MX$817

91.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

Cappuccino

$8.45 YER 1,992

$3.68 MX$68.0

129.62%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 YER 210

$0.82 MX$15.24

8.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

Eggs

$10.58 YER 2,496

$2.49 MX$45.99

324.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 YER 3,557

$7.52 MX$139

100.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.73 YER 6,070

$7.96 MX$147

223.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$58.5 YER 13.8K

$12.57 MX$232

365.39%

Apples (1kg)

$14.61 YER 3,446

$2.78 MX$51.3

425.54%

Banana (1kg)

$6.37 YER 1,503

$1.43 MX$26.37

345.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.94 YER 1,165

$2.62 MX$48.37

88.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 YER 776

$2.14 MX$39.49

53.74%

Potato (1kg)

$7.71 YER 1,818

$2.02 MX$37.38

281.68%

Onion (1kg)

$4.15 YER 978

$1.99 MX$36.74

108.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 YER 609

$1.20 MX$22.18

115.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

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

$23.46 MX$434

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

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

$201 MX$3,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Al Mukalla: October 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al Mukalla

–

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Groceries & Markets

Al Mukalla

–

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Eating Out

Al Mukalla

–

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Mukalla

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Al Mukalla

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Al Mukalla

–

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Getting Around

Al Mukalla

–

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $85.0 in Al Mukalla vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $602 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇾🇪 Al Mukalla

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

13:52 1:52 PM

05:52 5:52 AM

8 h behind Al Mukalla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

176,942

149,923

💱 Currency

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.77 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to YER – Yemeni Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇾🇪 Yemeni Rial (﷼)

Yemeni Rial exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 236 YER (1,000 YER = 4.24 USD). 1 EUR = 265 YER (1,000 YER = 3.77 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to YER in detail →

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Between locations

Al Mukalla Playa del Carmen 13,840 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Al Mukalla is cheaper overall, especially in transport, utilities, and clothing. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,262 in Al Mukalla and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 133% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Al Mukalla – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $842 in Al Mukalla versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al Mukalla but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Al Mukalla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Al Mukalla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.