Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aqaba and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Aqaba: $916 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Aqaba
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Aqaba Living Index
58

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

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Aqaba

🇯🇴 Jordan

$916

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $916 per month in Aqaba vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Aqaba $916
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,507 per month in Aqaba vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Aqaba $1,507
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,098 per month in Aqaba vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Aqaba $2,098
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Aqaba is about 24% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Aqaba and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Aqaba 33% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 JOD 1.95

$10.92 MX$205

-74.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 JOD 50.4

$43.37 MX$815

64.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.17 JOD 2.95

$11.78 MX$221

-64.60%

Cappuccino

$4.46 JOD 3.16

$3.81 MX$71.6

17.06%

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

$0.59 JOD 0.42

$1.28 MX$24.10

-53.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 JOD 0.41

$0.78 MX$14.71

-25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.58 JOD 6.07

$3.17 MX$59.5

170.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.05 JOD 7.82

$4.93 MX$92.7

124.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 JOD 1.02

$1.41 MX$26.43

2.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 JOD 0.33

$2.22 MX$41.66

-78.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 JOD 1.09

$1.42 MX$26.64

8.45%

Eggs

$1.73 JOD 1.22

$2.52 MX$47.41

-31.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.69 JOD 4.03

$7.26 MX$137

-21.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.20 JOD 2.97

$7.70 MX$145

-45.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.65 JOD 6.83

$12.69 MX$239

-23.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 JOD 0.99

$2.78 MX$52.3

-50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 JOD 1.02

$1.37 MX$25.71

5.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 JOD 0.77

$2.55 MX$47.94

-57.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 JOD 0.53

$2.12 MX$39.90

-65.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 JOD 0.52

$1.94 MX$36.43

-61.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 JOD 0.51

$1.89 MX$35.44

-61.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 JOD 0.42

$1.15 MX$21.55

-48.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 JOD 0.41

$1.18 MX$22.16

-51.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.92 JOD 2.78

$4.30 MX$80.7

-8.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.26 JOD 12.22

$9.95 MX$187

73.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 JOD 1.99

$1.58 MX$29.76

77.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 JOD 1.79

$2.67 MX$50.2

-5.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 JOD 0.36

$4.97 MX$93.4

-89.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 JOD 0.97

$3.33 MX$62.6

-58.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.91 JOD 4.89

$5.36 MX$101

28.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 JOD 1.02

$1.44 MX$27.14

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

$31.5K JOD 22.3K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

52.22%

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

$31.2K JOD 22.1K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

33.17%

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

$135 JOD 95.4

$84.8 MX$1,594

58.90%

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

$15.70 JOD 11.12

$23.41 MX$440

-32.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.92 JOD 23.31

$28.66 MX$539

14.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 JOD 45.53

$57.1 MX$1,072

12.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$11.12 JOD 7.87

$5.14 MX$96.6

116.34%

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

$538 JOD 381

$207 MX$3,882

160.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,836 JOD 2,008

$3,927 MX$73.8K

-27.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.03 JOD 19.84

$43.35 MX$815

-35.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.43 JOD 30.04

$41.44 MX$779

2.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.20 JOD 29.88

$74.2 MX$1,394

-43.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.0 JOD 49.53

$89.3 MX$1,677

-21.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$286 JOD 202

$980 MX$18.4K

-70.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$209 JOD 148

$381 MX$7,157

-45.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 JOD 482

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-60.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 JOD 328

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-56.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,119 JOD 792

$3,943 MX$74.1K

-71.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$565 JOD 400

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-90.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$564 JOD 399

$735 MX$13.8K

-23.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.94

11.45

-39.39%

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

Last update for Aqaba: October 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aqaba

$209 22.9%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 81.8% $171

Groceries & Markets

Aqaba

$189 20.7%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 34.5% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aqaba

$183 20%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 25.4% $47

Eating Out

Aqaba

$158 17.2%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 28.3% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Aqaba

$87 9.5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 22.2% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Aqaba

$82 9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 35.9% $30

Getting Around

Aqaba

$7.4 * 0.8%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 586% $43

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $286 in Aqaba versus $980 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 30% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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 $71 in Aqaba versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $189 in Aqaba vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Aqaba wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇴 Aqaba

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

08:30 8:30 AM

00:30 12:30 AM

8 h behind Aqaba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

140,000

149,923

💱 Currency

Jordanian Dinar JOD د.ا

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 JOD = 1.41 USD

1 JOD = 1.26 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to JOD – Jordanian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇴 Jordanian Dinar (د.ا)

Jordanian Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.708 JOD (1 JOD = 1.41 USD). 1 EUR = 0.791 JOD (1 JOD = 1.26 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to JOD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Aqaba Playa del Carmen 11,680 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Aqaba
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,374 per month in Aqaba and $1,806 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 Aqaba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $286 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $916 in Aqaba and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Aqaba about 24% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $538 per month in Aqaba and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aqaba costs $916 versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Aqaba. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.