Cost of Living Comparison Between Ma'an and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Ma'an and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $837 per month in Ma'an vs $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,386 per month in Ma'an vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,935 per month in Ma'an vs $3,362 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ma'an is about 36% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Ma'an and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Ma'an 39% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.00 JOD 4.95

$11.96 MX$203

-41.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.1 JOD 46.79

$47.38 MX$804

39.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.14 JOD 5.05

$11.75 MX$199

-39.23%

Cappuccino

$4.46 JOD 3.16

$4.12 MX$70.0

8.25%

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

$0.65 JOD 0.46

$1.40 MX$23.74

-53.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 JOD 0.40

$0.91 MX$15.48

-37.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.67 JOD 6.13

$3.21 MX$54.4

170.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.10 JOD 7.86

$7.07 MX$120

57.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 JOD 1.08

$1.68 MX$28.44

-9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 JOD 0.50

$2.15 MX$36.48

-66.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 JOD 1.07

$1.77 MX$30.10

-14.69%

Eggs

$2.41 JOD 1.71

$2.82 MX$47.76

-14.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 JOD 6.67

$9.20 MX$156

2.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.54 JOD 4.63

$9.23 MX$157

-29.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.50 JOD 8.84

$12.64 MX$214

-1.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 JOD 1.75

$2.95 MX$50.1

-16.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 JOD 1.44

$1.58 MX$26.79

29.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 JOD 1.29

$2.22 MX$37.70

-18.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.84 JOD 0.60

$2.36 MX$40.09

-64.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 JOD 0.69

$1.99 MX$33.81

-50.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 JOD 0.60

$1.98 MX$33.58

-57.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 JOD 0.46

$1.24 MX$21.04

-47.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 JOD 0.47

$1.21 MX$20.55

-44.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 JOD 2.67

$4.60 MX$78.1

-18.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.74 JOD 14.68

$10.52 MX$178

97.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.13 JOD 3.63

$1.69 MX$28.70

203.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 JOD 3.66

$2.77 MX$47.06

86.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 JOD 0.43

$5.24 MX$88.8

-88.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 JOD 1.01

$3.65 MX$61.9

-60.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 JOD 4.97

$5.78 MX$98.1

21.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 JOD 1.13

$1.54 MX$26.09

3.25%

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

$34.7K JOD 24.5K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

52.02%

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

$33.9K JOD 24.0K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

31.47%

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

$130 JOD 92.3

$90.7 MX$1,538

43.81%

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

$15.78 JOD 11.17

$25.19 MX$427

-37.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 JOD 22.86

$31.75 MX$539

1.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$11.32 JOD 8.01

$4.86 MX$82.5

132.92%

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

$475 JOD 336

$226 MX$3,828

110.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,645 JOD 6,826

$4,194 MX$71.1K

129.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 JOD 45.47

$47.38 MX$804

35.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$83.8 JOD 59.3

$43.45 MX$737

92.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 JOD 88.4

$80.2 MX$1,361

55.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 JOD 62.3

$91.4 MX$1,550

-3.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

11.45

-40.52%

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

Last update for Ma'an: September 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Ma'an versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $265 in Ma'an vs $278 in Playa del Carmen – so Ma'an wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Ma'an vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $837 in Ma'an, $1,305 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 56% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,255 per month in Ma'an and $1,958 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Ma'an and $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ma'an, where all-in costs run around $837, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Ma'an it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $837 in Ma'an to $1,305 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Ma'an. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.