Cost of Living Comparison Between Janub-as-surrah and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Janub-as-surrah and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,263 in Janub-as-surrah versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,157 in Janub-as-surrah versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,051 in Janub-as-surrah versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs are close between Janub-as-surrah and Playa del Carmen; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Janub-as-surrah 8% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.08 KWD 2.79

$11.60 MX$200

-21.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.0 KWD 19.34

$47.11 MX$812

33.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.74 KWD 2.68

$11.88 MX$205

-26.43%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 KWD 1.03

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 KWD 1.11

Cappuccino

$5.56 KWD 1.71

$3.98 MX$68.6

39.70%

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

$0.58 KWD 0.18

$1.43 MX$24.60

-59.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 KWD 0.10

$0.82 MX$14.22

-60.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 KWD 0.36

$1.68 MX$28.89

-30.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 KWD 0.26

$2.20 MX$37.88

-62.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 KWD 0.65

$1.71 MX$29.45

23.39%

Eggs

$2.18 KWD 0.67

$2.74 MX$47.26

-20.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.14 KWD 1.27

$9.58 MX$165

-56.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.24 KWD 1.91

$9.01 MX$155

-30.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.49 KWD 3.22

$12.81 MX$221

-18.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 KWD 0.74

$2.89 MX$49.81

-16.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 KWD 0.53

$1.50 MX$25.81

15.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 KWD 0.39

$2.15 MX$37.03

-40.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 KWD 0.42

$2.26 MX$38.96

-39.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 KWD 0.38

$1.98 MX$34.15

-37.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 KWD 0.30

$1.99 MX$34.30

-51.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 KWD 0.50

$1.23 MX$21.28

31.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 KWD 0.16

$1.20 MX$20.63

-55.83%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.88 KWD 0.88

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 KWD 0.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 KWD 0.84

$4.55 MX$78.5

-39.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 KWD 0.24

$0.60 MX$10.35

30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 KWD 0.97

$5.39 MX$92.9

-41.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 KWD 0.97

$3.73 MX$64.3

-15.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.10 KWD 4.94

$5.77 MX$99.5

179.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.34 KWD 0.11

$1.54 MX$26.48

-77.92%

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

$22.4K KWD 6,874

$22.5K MX$388.8K

-0.70%

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

$20.3K KWD 6,241

$26.1K MX$449.3K

-21.98%

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

$59.4 KWD 18.22

$91.4 MX$1,576

-35.04%

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

$20.98 KWD 6.44

$25.20 MX$435

-16.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.86 KWD 8.55

$31.24 MX$539

-10.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.3 KWD 26.18

$67.2 MX$1,159

26.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$9.95 KWD 3.05

$4.86 MX$83.8

104.73%

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

$295 KWD 90.4

$224 MX$3,856

31.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,583 KWD 2,635

$4,229 MX$72.9K

102.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.17 KWD 10.80

$47.10 MX$812

-25.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 KWD 10.70

$44.29 MX$764

-21.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 KWD 26.82

$80.1 MX$1,381

9.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.9 KWD 26.37

$92.7 MX$1,598

-7.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 KWD 218

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-33.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$525 KWD 161

$390 MX$6,728

34.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 KWD 485

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-26.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 KWD 431

$1,272 MX$21.9K

10.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

11.45

-42.97%

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

Last update for Janub-as-surrah: September 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $709 in Janub-as-surrah and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Janub-as-surrah vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $165 vs $276, with Janub-as-surrah cheaper for home cooking.

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

Janub-as-surrah vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You'd need roughly $1,894 in Janub-as-surrah and $1,899 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $709 in Janub-as-surrah versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Janub-as-surrah – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,263 in Janub-as-surrah versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Janub-as-surrah but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Janub-as-surrah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Janub-as-surrah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,263 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Janub-as-surrah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Janub-as-surrah 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.

It comes down to priorities – Janub-as-surrah wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.