Cost of Living Comparison Between As-salimiyah and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between As-salimiyah and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,460 per month in As-salimiyah vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in As-salimiyah vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,107 per month in As-salimiyah vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

As-salimiyah costs about 15% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

As-salimiyah sits 9% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.55 KWD 2.93

$11.87 MX$204

-19.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.94 KWD 13.81

$42.90 MX$736

4.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.13 KWD 2.50

$10.65 MX$183

-23.66%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 KWD 0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 KWD 1.14

Cappuccino

$6.08 KWD 1.87

$3.45 MX$59.2

76.23%

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

$0.66 KWD 0.20

$1.50 MX$25.81

-56.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 KWD 0.11

$0.95 MX$16.28

-64.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 KWD 0.44

$1.38 MX$23.61

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 KWD 0.28

$1.85 MX$31.70

-51.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 KWD 0.49

$1.61 MX$27.65

-1.24%

Eggs

$2.04 KWD 0.63

$2.59 MX$44.51

-21.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.01 KWD 1.54

$8.26 MX$142

-39.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 KWD 1.91

$8.37 MX$144

-25.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.28 KWD 3.16

$10.66 MX$183

-3.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 KWD 0.61

$2.63 MX$45.12

-23.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 KWD 0.48

$1.49 MX$25.53

4.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 KWD 0.47

$1.92 MX$32.94

-20.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 KWD 0.43

$2.09 MX$35.81

-33.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 KWD 0.39

$1.86 MX$31.88

-31.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 KWD 0.27

$2.26 MX$38.81

-61.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 KWD 0.48

$1.06 MX$18.23

48.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 KWD 0.15

$1.09 MX$18.67

-55.05%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.19 KWD 0.98

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.90 KWD 0.89

$4.15 MX$71.2

-30.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 KWD 0.36

$0.54 MX$9.30

114.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.44 KWD 14.88

$26.94 MX$462

79.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 KWD 0.99

$3.13 MX$53.7

2.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.27 KWD 1.00

$2.51 MX$43.09

30.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.24 KWD 4.99

$3.15 MX$54.1

415.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.34 KWD 0.11

$1.27 MX$21.88

-73.23%

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

$21.5K KWD 6,592

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-29.35%

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

$20.2K KWD 6,193

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-14.45%

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

$38.71 KWD 11.89

$83.0 MX$1,425

-53.36%

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

$18.69 KWD 5.74

$22.71 MX$390

-17.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.94 KWD 7.97

$29.46 MX$506

-11.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.0 KWD 28.57

$51.0 MX$875

82.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.2 KWD 20.35

$18.33 MX$315

261.37%

Cinema Ticket

$8.66 KWD 2.66

$4.93 MX$84.5

75.66%

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

$282 KWD 86.6

$197 MX$3,386

42.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,710 KWD 2,061

$5,280 MX$90.6K

27.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.25 KWD 12.98

$36.90 MX$633

14.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.02 KWD 13.22

$39.89 MX$685

7.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 KWD 26.61

$80.0 MX$1,373

8.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.1 KWD 20.92

$89.5 MX$1,536

-23.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$943 KWD 290

$956 MX$16.4K

-1.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 KWD 222

$477 MX$8,189

51.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,852 KWD 569

$1,646 MX$28.3K

12.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 KWD 412

$1,225 MX$21.0K

9.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,747 KWD 844

$667 MX$11.4K

311.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.14

11.42

-37.48%

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

Last update for As-salimiyah: June 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $943 in As-salimiyah versus $956 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 312% higher in As-salimiyah, 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 $45.00 in As-salimiyah versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $165 in As-salimiyah vs $250 in Playa del Carmen – so As-salimiyah 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

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

Yes – As-salimiyah is pricier by about 15%, 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 $2,190 per month in As-salimiyah and $1,906 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,460 in As-salimiyah and $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 80% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,271, than in As-salimiyah at $1,460. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in As-salimiyah 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, As-salimiyah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.