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: $1,355 in Janub-as-surrah versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,250 in Janub-as-surrah versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,146 in Janub-as-surrah versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Janub-as-surrah is roughly 7% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Janub-as-surrah is 2% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.80 KWD 2.40

$11.72 MX$203

-33.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.9 KWD 18.11

$41.89 MX$725

40.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.39 KWD 2.58

$10.51 MX$182

-20.17%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 KWD 0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 KWD 1.08

Cappuccino

$5.50 KWD 1.69

$3.59 MX$62.0

53.20%

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

$0.63 KWD 0.20

$1.51 MX$26.10

-58.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 KWD 0.10

$0.92 MX$15.83

-63.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 KWD 0.44

$1.40 MX$24.16

2.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 KWD 0.32

$1.88 MX$32.60

-44.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 KWD 0.53

$1.56 MX$26.97

9.62%

Eggs

$1.96 KWD 0.60

$2.61 MX$45.14

-24.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.56 KWD 1.40

$8.32 MX$144

-45.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 KWD 2.01

$8.35 MX$145

-21.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.95 KWD 3.06

$10.86 MX$188

-8.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 KWD 0.71

$2.71 MX$46.93

-14.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 KWD 0.52

$1.51 MX$26.04

11.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 KWD 0.48

$1.87 MX$32.41

-16.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 KWD 0.43

$2.19 MX$37.89

-36.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 KWD 0.38

$1.86 MX$32.14

-33.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 KWD 0.35

$2.23 MX$38.59

-49.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 KWD 0.51

$1.07 MX$18.48

56.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 KWD 0.14

$1.09 MX$18.79

-57.80%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.69 KWD 1.13

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 KWD 0.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 KWD 0.92

$4.19 MX$72.4

-28.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 KWD 0.27

$0.54 MX$9.37

62.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 KWD 13.60

$26.16 MX$453

69.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 KWD 0.98

$3.08 MX$53.3

3.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 KWD 0.99

$2.40 MX$41.61

33.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.47 KWD 5.07

$3.13 MX$54.1

426.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.36 KWD 0.11

$1.31 MX$22.69

-72.52%

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

$20.7K KWD 6,379

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-30.42%

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

$18.9K KWD 5,800

$23.3K MX$403.5K

-19.15%

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

$61.4 KWD 18.88

$81.3 MX$1,406

-24.47%

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

$18.27 KWD 5.62

$22.56 MX$390

-19.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.12 KWD 8.03

$30.05 MX$520

-13.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.4 KWD 29.04

$52.9 MX$915

78.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.74 KWD 14.07

$18.39 MX$318

148.72%

Cinema Ticket

$11.54 KWD 3.55

$4.92 MX$85.1

134.55%

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

$278 KWD 85.4

$201 MX$3,474

38.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,190 KWD 1,904

$5,175 MX$89.5K

19.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.97 KWD 13.22

$35.92 MX$622

19.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.65 KWD 13.12

$40.13 MX$694

6.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 KWD 26.54

$79.7 MX$1,379

8.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 KWD 25.56

$86.5 MX$1,496

-3.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$791 KWD 243

$978 MX$16.9K

-19.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 KWD 191

$470 MX$8,140

32.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 KWD 491

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-3.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 KWD 402

$1,203 MX$20.8K

8.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $791 in Janub-as-surrah and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $59.0 in Janub-as-surrah vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $169 vs $252, 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 7% 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 $2,032 in Janub-as-surrah and $1,890 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: $791 in Janub-as-surrah versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,355 per month in Janub-as-surrah versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen – a 7% 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 69% less than in Janub-as-surrah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,355 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 $1,260 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 7% less than in Janub-as-surrah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.