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: $1,340 in Janub-as-surrah versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,242 in Janub-as-surrah versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,144 in Janub-as-surrah versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Janub-as-surrah is roughly 5% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Janub-as-surrah is 0% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.91 KWD 2.43

$11.87 MX$204

-33.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.3 KWD 17.90

$42.90 MX$736

35.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 KWD 2.63

$10.65 MX$183

-19.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 KWD 0.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 KWD 1.04

Cappuccino

$5.42 KWD 1.67

$3.45 MX$59.2

57.10%

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

$0.59 KWD 0.18

$1.50 MX$25.81

-60.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 KWD 0.10

$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)

$1.05 KWD 0.32

$1.85 MX$31.70

-43.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 KWD 0.53

$1.61 MX$27.65

7.45%

Eggs

$2.04 KWD 0.63

$2.59 MX$44.51

-21.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.58 KWD 1.41

$8.26 MX$142

-44.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.60 KWD 2.03

$8.37 MX$144

-21.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 KWD 3.02

$10.66 MX$183

-7.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 KWD 0.72

$2.63 MX$45.12

-11.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 KWD 0.49

$1.49 MX$25.53

7.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 KWD 0.47

$1.92 MX$32.94

-20.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 KWD 0.42

$2.09 MX$35.81

-33.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 KWD 0.40

$1.86 MX$31.88

-30.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 KWD 0.34

$2.26 MX$38.81

-51.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 KWD 0.50

$1.06 MX$18.23

54.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 KWD 0.14

$1.09 MX$18.67

-57.80%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 KWD 0.92

$4.15 MX$71.2

-28.19%

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)

$0.88 KWD 0.27

$0.54 MX$9.30

62.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.03 KWD 13.53

$26.94 MX$462

63.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 KWD 1.01

$3.13 MX$53.7

5.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 KWD 1.00

$2.51 MX$43.09

29.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.02 KWD 4.92

$3.15 MX$54.1

408.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.37 KWD 0.11

$1.27 MX$21.88

-70.87%

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

$20.4K KWD 6,253

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-32.99%

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

$19.3K KWD 5,938

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-17.98%

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

$61.8 KWD 18.98

$83.0 MX$1,425

-25.55%

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

$18.14 KWD 5.57

$22.71 MX$390

-20.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.02 KWD 7.99

$29.46 MX$506

-11.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.9 KWD 29.17

$51.0 MX$875

86.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.92 KWD 14.41

$18.33 MX$315

155.97%

Cinema Ticket

$11.59 KWD 3.56

$4.93 MX$84.5

135.09%

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

$285 KWD 87.4

$197 MX$3,386

44.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,089 KWD 1,871

$5,280 MX$90.6K

15.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.26 KWD 12.98

$36.90 MX$633

14.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.27 KWD 12.98

$39.89 MX$685

5.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 KWD 26.79

$80.0 MX$1,373

9.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.6 KWD 25.07

$89.5 MX$1,536

-8.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 KWD 247

$956 MX$16.4K

-15.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 KWD 185

$477 MX$8,189

26.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,555 KWD 478

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-5.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 KWD 391

$1,225 MX$21.0K

4.01%

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)

$667 MX$11.4K

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 Janub-as-surrah: June 9, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $805 in Janub-as-surrah and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58.0 in Janub-as-surrah vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $169 vs $250, 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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Janub-as-surrah. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,009 in Janub-as-surrah and $1,906 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: $805 in Janub-as-surrah versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Janub-as-surrah versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 63% less than in Janub-as-surrah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,340 in Janub-as-surrah, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Janub-as-surrah. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,271 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Janub-as-surrah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.