Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madinat Hamad and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living costs are similar in Madinat Hamad and in Playa del Carmen: $1,192 and $1,202 a month, rent and utilities included.

57

Cost of Living Index in Madinat Hamad
Learn more

Madinat Hamad Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Madinat Hamad

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,192

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madinat Hamad and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Madinat Hamad and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,192 per month in Madinat Hamad vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Madinat Hamad $1,192
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,909 per month in Madinat Hamad vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Madinat Hamad $1,909
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,627 per month in Madinat Hamad vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Madinat Hamad $2,627
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Madinat Hamad and Playa del Carmen have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Madinat Hamad and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Madinat Hamad 12% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.60 BHD 0.98

$10.67 MX$198

-75.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 BHD 19.82

$43.80 MX$813

20.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.62 BHD 2.87

$11.79 MX$219

-35.37%

Cappuccino

$2.62 BHD 0.99

$3.79 MX$70.3

-30.87%

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

$0.89 BHD 0.33

$1.30 MX$24.09

-31.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 BHD 0.12

$0.83 MX$15.48

-61.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 BHD 2.43

$3.15 MX$58.4

104.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.77 BHD 3.68

$4.93 MX$91.6

98.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 BHD 0.54

$1.41 MX$26.16

2.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 BHD 0.39

$2.20 MX$40.77

-53.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 BHD 0.90

$1.47 MX$27.35

62.59%

Eggs

$2.02 BHD 0.76

$2.50 MX$46.37

-19.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 BHD 3.34

$7.29 MX$135

21.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 BHD 2.42

$7.95 MX$148

-19.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.36 BHD 3.15

$12.86 MX$239

-34.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 BHD 0.82

$2.90 MX$53.8

-24.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 BHD 0.61

$1.38 MX$25.69

17.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 BHD 0.72

$2.49 MX$46.26

-23.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 BHD 0.51

$2.03 MX$37.70

-33.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 BHD 0.38

$2.02 MX$37.61

-49.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 BHD 0.39

$1.90 MX$35.35

-45.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 BHD 0.56

$1.14 MX$21.25

31.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 BHD 0.19

$1.24 MX$23.01

-59.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.17 BHD 1.95

$4.27 MX$79.3

21.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 BHD 7.03

$9.81 MX$182

90.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 BHD 1.38

$1.59 MX$29.45

130.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 BHD 1.02

$2.75 MX$51.0

-1.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 BHD 0.24

$0.51 MX$9.56

25.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.51 BHD 13.01

$27.39 MX$509

25.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 BHD 1.94

$4.76 MX$88.4

8.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 BHD 0.98

$3.25 MX$60.3

-20.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.06 BHD 6.06

$5.39 MX$100

197.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.39 BHD 0.15

$1.53 MX$28.38

-74.51%

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

$25.7K BHD 9,693

$21.2K MX$393.9K

21.17%

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

$19.9K BHD 7,510

$23.3K MX$432.0K

-14.39%

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

$155 BHD 58.3

$83.5 MX$1,550

85.32%

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

$23.42 BHD 8.83

$23.19 MX$431

0.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.89 BHD 7.12

$27.61 MX$513

-31.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$118 BHD 44.36

$56.4 MX$1,048

108.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$53.9 BHD 20.34

$28.19 MX$524

91.34%

Cinema Ticket

$5.21 BHD 1.96

$5.00 MX$92.9

4.20%

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

$619 BHD 233

$207 MX$3,846

198.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K BHD 4,194

$5,231 MX$97.1K

112.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 BHD 19.41

$43.45 MX$807

18.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 BHD 21.67

$42.54 MX$790

35.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 BHD 32.80

$72.8 MX$1,351

19.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 BHD 34.10

$88.4 MX$1,641

2.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 BHD 150

$995 MX$18.5K

-60.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 BHD 118

$382 MX$7,102

-18.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 BHD 300

$1,674 MX$31.1K

-52.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 BHD 253

$1,081 MX$20.1K

-37.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 BHD 252

$832 MX$15.5K

-19.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

11.45

-45.76%

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

Last update for Madinat Hamad: October 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Madinat Hamad

$312 26.2%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 22.5% $70

Groceries & Markets

Madinat Hamad

$239 20.1%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 7.6% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madinat Hamad

$197 16.5%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 31.8% $63

Eating Out

Madinat Hamad

$132 11.1%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 52% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Madinat Hamad

$129 10.8%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 13.7% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Madinat Hamad

$128 10.7%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 48.1% $62

Getting Around

Madinat Hamad

$55 4.6%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 8.6% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $397 in Madinat Hamad versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 24% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53 in Madinat Hamad versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $239 in Madinat Hamad vs $257 in Playa del Carmen – so Madinat Hamad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Madinat Hamad

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:57 4:57 PM

08:57 8:57 AM

8 h behind Madinat Hamad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

133,350

149,923

💱 Currency

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.37 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BHD – Bahraini Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇭 Bahraini Dinar (.د.ب)

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.422 BHD (1 BHD = 2.37 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to BHD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Madinat Hamad Playa del Carmen 13,090 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Madinat Hamad
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Madinat Hamad vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,788 per month in Madinat Hamad and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Madinat Hamad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $397 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53 in Madinat Hamad and $44 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 21% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,192 in Madinat Hamad and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Madinat Hamad costs $1,192 versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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