Cost of Living Comparison Between El Jadida and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between El Jadida and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $664 in El Jadida versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $986 in El Jadida versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,307 in El Jadida versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in El Jadida costs roughly 47% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: El Jadida 50% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.85 MAD 35.91

$11.99 MX$210

-67.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.90 MAD 186

$41.78 MX$731

-52.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.75 MAD 62.9

$10.75 MX$188

-37.21%

Cappuccino

$1.52 MAD 14.15

$3.50 MX$61.1

-56.57%

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

$0.43 MAD 4.03

$1.45 MX$25.33

-70.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 MAD 2.98

$0.88 MX$15.47

-63.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 MAD 25.78

$2.95 MX$51.6

-6.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 MAD 30.23

$4.51 MX$78.9

-28.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 MAD 8.21

$1.43 MX$25.04

-38.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 MAD 4.39

$1.84 MX$32.13

-74.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 MAD 17.21

$1.57 MX$27.42

17.83%

Eggs

$1.86 MAD 17.38

$2.51 MX$43.92

-25.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.07 MAD 47.25

$8.28 MX$145

-38.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.84 MAD 35.83

$8.43 MX$147

-54.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.92 MAD 73.8

$10.68 MX$187

-25.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.58 MAD 14.74

$2.61 MX$45.62

-39.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 MAD 11.83

$1.44 MX$25.15

-11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 MAD 7.04

$1.96 MX$34.31

-61.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.80 MAD 7.46

$2.09 MX$36.62

-61.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 MAD 7.38

$1.85 MX$32.37

-57.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 MAD 4.61

$2.17 MX$37.90

-77.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 MAD 3.10

$1.03 MX$18.04

-67.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 MAD 5.63

$1.07 MX$18.78

-43.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 MAD 37.58

$4.10 MX$71.7

-1.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.42 MAD 41.17

$10.17 MX$178

-56.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 MAD 22.52

$1.68 MX$29.29

43.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 MAD 27.34

$2.53 MX$44.17

15.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MAD 4.69

$0.51 MX$8.90

-1.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.83 MAD 241

$26.04 MX$455

-0.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 MAD 10.00

$3.23 MX$56.5

-66.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 MAD 4.56

$2.41 MX$42.06

-79.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 MAD 30.94

$3.23 MX$56.5

2.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MAD 14.26

$1.32 MX$23.10

15.91%

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

$32.9K MAD 307.2K

$29.7K MX$519.2K

10.94%

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

$30.0K MAD 280.0K

$23.7K MX$413.7K

26.88%

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

$31.73 MAD 296

$82.0 MX$1,434

-61.31%

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

$10.91 MAD 102

$22.95 MX$401

-52.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.07 MAD 308

$30.11 MX$527

9.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.23 MAD 254

$52.0 MX$909

-47.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.78 MAD 166

$18.53 MX$324

-4.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 MAD 62.3

$4.98 MX$87.0

34.14%

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

$89.2 MAD 832

$197 MX$3,452

-54.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,638 MAD 24.6K

$5,336 MX$93.3K

-50.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.04 MAD 373

$35.60 MX$622

12.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.07 MAD 383

$40.33 MX$705

1.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.4 MAD 619

$78.8 MX$1,377

-15.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.2 MAD 561

$88.9 MX$1,555

-32.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$231 MAD 2,155

$947 MX$16.6K

-75.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 MAD 1,613

$474 MX$8,288

-63.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 MAD 3,633

$1,644 MX$28.7K

-76.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 MAD 2,334

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-79.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,597 MAD 14.9K

$4,056 MX$70.9K

-60.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$822 MAD 7,661

$6,470 MX$113.1K

-87.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$473 MAD 4,411

$654 MX$11.4K

-27.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-56.22%

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

Last update for El Jadida: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $231 in El Jadida and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 38% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $20.00 in El Jadida vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $148 vs $249 per month, with El Jadida 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

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

El Jadida wins on cost – living expenses run 89% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making El Jadida the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $231 in El Jadida versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in El Jadida – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $664 in El Jadida versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in El Jadida but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes El Jadida the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but El Jadida delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $664 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes El Jadida hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, El Jadida and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find El Jadida gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.