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: $647 in El Jadida versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $978 in El Jadida versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,310 in El Jadida versus $3,065 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 52% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.78 MAD 34.77

$11.73 MX$203

-67.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 MAD 180

$41.62 MX$720

-52.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.69 MAD 61.5

$10.64 MX$184

-37.12%

Cappuccino

$1.52 MAD 13.95

$3.52 MX$60.9

-56.82%

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

$0.46 MAD 4.24

$1.51 MX$26.12

-69.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 MAD 2.93

$0.97 MX$16.84

-67.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 MAD 26.03

$2.95 MX$51.0

-4.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 MAD 29.48

$4.45 MX$77.0

-27.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 MAD 7.75

$1.38 MX$23.93

-39.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 MAD 4.02

$1.89 MX$32.72

-76.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MAD 16.21

$1.64 MX$28.32

7.32%

Eggs

$1.78 MAD 16.38

$2.51 MX$43.34

-29.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.88 MAD 44.88

$8.34 MX$144

-41.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 MAD 35.53

$8.34 MX$144

-53.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.18 MAD 75.2

$10.73 MX$186

-23.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 MAD 14.36

$2.60 MX$45.04

-40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 MAD 11.76

$1.46 MX$25.20

-12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 6.58

$1.90 MX$32.87

-62.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 MAD 7.17

$2.08 MX$35.91

-62.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 MAD 6.79

$1.78 MX$30.71

-58.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 MAD 4.61

$2.19 MX$37.80

-77.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 MAD 3.04

$1.04 MX$17.99

-68.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MAD 5.20

$1.08 MX$18.62

-47.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 MAD 38.45

$4.08 MX$70.6

2.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.47 MAD 41.04

$10.32 MX$178

-56.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 MAD 21.83

$1.71 MX$29.61

39.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 MAD 26.96

$2.58 MX$44.54

13.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MAD 4.69

$0.51 MX$8.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.35 MAD 242

$26.46 MX$458

-0.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 MAD 9.91

$3.26 MX$56.4

-66.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MAD 4.43

$2.49 MX$43.09

-80.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 MAD 30.60

$3.25 MX$56.2

2.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MAD 13.91

$1.31 MX$22.61

15.27%

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

$32.5K MAD 298.7K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

7.35%

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

$30.1K MAD 276.3K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

28.31%

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

$32.07 MAD 295

$82.9 MX$1,433

-61.30%

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

$11.03 MAD 101

$22.22 MX$384

-50.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.95 MAD 303

$29.34 MX$507

12.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.12 MAD 249

$51.6 MX$893

-47.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.45 MAD 160

$18.32 MX$317

-4.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MAD 60.6

$5.07 MX$87.6

29.98%

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

$88.7 MAD 815

$201 MX$3,473

-55.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,576 MAD 23.7K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-50.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.67 MAD 374

$36.92 MX$639

10.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 MAD 373

$39.79 MX$688

1.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 MAD 628

$78.5 MX$1,357

-12.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.3 MAD 563

$87.1 MX$1,506

-29.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 MAD 2,052

$973 MX$16.8K

-77.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 MAD 1,592

$468 MX$8,090

-62.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 MAD 3,493

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-76.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 MAD 2,225

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-80.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,660 MAD 15.3K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-57.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$840 MAD 7,721

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-87.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 MAD 4,463

$664 MX$11.5K

-26.85%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $223 in El Jadida and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 37% 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 $146 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 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, Playa del Carmen earns 37% less. 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: $223 in El Jadida versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% 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 $647 in El Jadida versus $1,297 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 $647 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.