Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-Qurain and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-Qurain and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,379 per month in Al-Qurain vs $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,295 per month in Al-Qurain vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Al-Qurain vs $3,362 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Al-Qurain costs about 6% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Al-Qurain sits 0% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.77 KWD 3.91

$11.96 MX$203

6.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.9 KWD 19.89

$47.38 MX$804

36.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.12 KWD 2.80

$11.75 MX$199

-22.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 KWD 1.01

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 KWD 1.47

Cappuccino

$5.51 KWD 1.69

$4.12 MX$70.0

33.74%

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

$0.70 KWD 0.21

$1.40 MX$23.74

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 KWD 0.12

$0.91 MX$15.48

-58.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 KWD 0.51

$1.68 MX$28.44

-1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 KWD 0.47

$2.15 MX$36.48

-28.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 KWD 0.58

$1.77 MX$30.10

7.34%

Eggs

$2.14 KWD 0.66

$2.82 MX$47.76

-24.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.51 KWD 1.38

$9.20 MX$156

-50.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 KWD 2.09

$9.23 MX$157

-26.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 KWD 3.20

$12.64 MX$214

-17.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 KWD 0.75

$2.95 MX$50.1

-17.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 KWD 0.59

$1.58 MX$26.79

22.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 KWD 0.57

$2.22 MX$37.70

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 KWD 0.47

$2.36 MX$40.09

-34.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 KWD 0.42

$1.99 MX$33.81

-31.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 KWD 0.46

$1.98 MX$33.58

-24.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 KWD 0.73

$1.24 MX$21.04

92.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 KWD 0.18

$1.21 MX$20.55

-51.24%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.26 KWD 1.00

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 KWD 0.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 KWD 0.86

$4.60 MX$78.1

-38.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 KWD 0.24

$0.60 MX$10.22

31.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 KWD 1.45

$5.24 MX$88.8

-9.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.30 KWD 1.01

$3.65 MX$61.9

-9.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.34 KWD 5.01

$5.78 MX$98.1

182.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.32 KWD 0.10

$1.54 MX$26.09

-79.22%

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

$21.1K KWD 6,478

$22.8K MX$386.8K

-7.33%

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

$20.6K KWD 6,310

$25.8K MX$437.9K

-20.27%

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

$65.2 KWD 19.98

$90.7 MX$1,538

-28.13%

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

$23.10 KWD 7.08

$25.19 MX$427

-8.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.40 KWD 9.32

$31.75 MX$539

-4.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.1 KWD 29.45

$68.8 MX$1,167

39.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$11.12 KWD 3.41

$4.86 MX$82.5

128.81%

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

$296 KWD 90.7

$226 MX$3,828

31.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,269 KWD 2,842

$4,194 MX$71.1K

121.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.71 KWD 11.56

$47.38 MX$804

-20.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.47 KWD 12.10

$43.45 MX$737

-9.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 KWD 30.25

$80.2 MX$1,361

23.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 KWD 27.76

$91.4 MX$1,550

-0.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 KWD 226

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-32.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$586 KWD 180

$409 MX$6,933

43.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,795 KWD 550

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-9.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 KWD 418

$1,281 MX$21.7K

6.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,559 KWD 1,398

$773 MX$13.1K

489.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

11.45

-42.97%

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

Last update for Al-Qurain: September 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Al-Qurain versus $1,086 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.

Salaries run about 490% higher in Al-Qurain, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Al-Qurain versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Al-Qurain vs $278 in Playa del Carmen – so Al-Qurain 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-Qurain vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Al-Qurain is pricier by about 6%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,068 per month in Al-Qurain and $1,958 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 Playa del Carmen, 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 $65.0 in Al-Qurain and $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 46% cheaper in Al-Qurain – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,305, than in Al-Qurain at $1,379. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Al-Qurain it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Al-Qurain makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.