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: $651 in El Jadida versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $967 in El Jadida versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,282 in El Jadida versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in El Jadida costs roughly 50% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: El Jadida 53% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.87 MAD 27.01

$11.96 MX$203

-76.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.20 MAD 199

$47.38 MX$804

-55.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 MAD 58.4

$11.75 MX$199

-47.15%

Cappuccino

$1.59 MAD 14.96

$4.12 MX$70.0

-61.41%

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

$0.47 MAD 4.43

$1.40 MX$23.74

-66.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 MAD 2.68

$0.91 MX$15.48

-68.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.79 MAD 26.24

$3.21 MX$54.4

-13.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 MAD 24.67

$7.07 MX$120

-62.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 MAD 9.01

$1.68 MX$28.44

-42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 MAD 3.92

$2.15 MX$36.48

-80.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 MAD 18.53

$1.77 MX$30.10

11.30%

Eggs

$1.94 MAD 18.19

$2.82 MX$47.76

-31.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.56 MAD 61.6

$9.20 MX$156

-28.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.20 MAD 39.49

$9.23 MX$157

-54.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 MAD 77.0

$12.64 MX$214

-35.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 MAD 14.94

$2.95 MX$50.1

-46.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MAD 13.84

$1.58 MX$26.79

-6.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 6.74

$2.22 MX$37.70

-67.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 MAD 6.32

$2.36 MX$40.09

-71.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 MAD 6.46

$1.99 MX$33.81

-65.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 MAD 4.48

$1.98 MX$33.58

-75.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 MAD 3.14

$1.24 MX$21.04

-73.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MAD 5.07

$1.21 MX$20.55

-55.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 MAD 37.44

$4.60 MX$78.1

-13.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.15 MAD 38.99

$10.52 MX$178

-60.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 MAD 24.52

$1.69 MX$28.70

54.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 MAD 28.42

$2.77 MX$47.06

9.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MAD 4.38

$0.60 MX$10.22

-21.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.20 MAD 162

$29.70 MX$504

-42.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 MAD 10.17

$5.24 MX$88.8

-79.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 MAD 10.25

$3.65 MX$61.9

-70.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 MAD 51.3

$5.78 MX$98.1

-5.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MAD 14.65

$1.54 MX$26.09

1.30%

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

$34.9K MAD 327.8K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

52.97%

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

$31.2K MAD 293.1K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

20.82%

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

$29.29 MAD 275

$90.7 MX$1,538

-67.70%

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

$10.52 MAD 98.9

$25.19 MX$427

-58.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.46 MAD 305

$31.75 MX$539

2.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.84 MAD 280

$68.8 MX$1,167

-56.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.61 MAD 118

$29.37 MX$498

-57.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 MAD 61.8

$4.86 MX$82.5

35.39%

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

$116 MAD 1,086

$226 MX$3,828

-48.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,239 MAD 30.4K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

-22.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.85 MAD 271

$47.38 MX$804

-39.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.71 MAD 354

$43.45 MX$737

-13.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.7 MAD 627

$80.2 MX$1,361

-16.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 MAD 695

$91.4 MX$1,550

-19.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$211 MAD 1,987

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-80.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 MAD 1,624

$409 MX$6,933

-57.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 MAD 3,465

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-81.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 MAD 2,227

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-81.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,570 MAD 14.8K

$4,046 MX$68.6K

-61.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$818 MAD 7,688

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-87.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$482 MAD 4,530

$773 MX$13.1K

-37.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

11.45

-51.97%

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

Last update for El Jadida: September 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $211 in El Jadida and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 60% 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: $21.00 in El Jadida vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $156 vs $278 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 100% 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 60% 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: $211 in El Jadida versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% 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 $21.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $651 in El Jadida versus $1,305 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 $651 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 100% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.