Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahabad and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahabad: $528 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Mahabad
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Mahabad Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Mahabad

🇮🇷 Iran

$528

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mahabad 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 Mahabad and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $528 per month in Mahabad vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mahabad $528
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $831 per month in Mahabad vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mahabad $831
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,135 per month in Mahabad vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mahabad $1,135
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Mahabad is about 56% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mahabad and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Mahabad 61% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 $2.92

$10.67 MX$200

-72.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.31 $16.31

$43.80 MX$823

-62.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 $3.99

$11.79 MX$221

-66.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

Cappuccino

$1.13 $1.13

$3.79 MX$71.1

-70.18%

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

$0.51 $0.51

$1.30 MX$24.36

-60.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.83 MX$15.65

19.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$59.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 $0.68

$1.41 MX$26.46

-51.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 $0.51

$2.20 MX$41.23

-76.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.47 MX$27.66

42.18%

Eggs

$1.24 $1.24

$2.50 MX$46.89

-50.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$7.29 MX$137

-38.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$7.95 MX$149

-57.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.85 $7.85

$12.86 MX$242

-38.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.90 MX$54.4

-64.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.38 MX$25.98

15.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.86 $0.86

$2.49 MX$46.78

-65.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 $0.57

$2.03 MX$38.12

-71.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 $0.57

$2.02 MX$38.03

-71.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 $0.47

$1.90 MX$35.74

-75.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 $0.54

$1.14 MX$21.49

-52.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 $0.24

$1.24 MX$23.27

-80.65%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 $0.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 $0.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 $1.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 $2.46

$4.27 MX$80.2

-42.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$184

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 $0.14

$0.51 MX$9.67

-72.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.67 $9.67

$27.39 MX$514

-64.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 $0.44

$4.76 MX$89.4

-90.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 $0.31

$3.25 MX$61.0

-90.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$5.39 MX$101

-51.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.10 $0.10

$1.53 MX$28.70

-93.46%

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

$50.0K $50.0K

$21.2K MX$398.4K

135.59%

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

$45.4K $45.4K

$23.3K MX$436.9K

95.25%

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

$12.98 $12.98

$83.5 MX$1,568

-84.45%

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

$1.57 $1.57

$23.19 MX$435

-93.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.81 $3.81

$27.61 MX$519

-86.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.40 $18.40

$56.4 MX$1,060

-67.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.52 $13.52

$28.19 MX$529

-52.04%

Cinema Ticket

$2.04 $2.04

$5.00 MX$93.9

-59.20%

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

$107 $107

$207 MX$3,889

-48.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,442 $2,442

$5,231 MX$98.2K

-53.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.95 $22.95

$43.45 MX$816

-47.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.82 $27.82

$42.54 MX$799

-34.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 $98.5

$72.8 MX$1,367

35.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 $73.7

$88.4 MX$1,660

-16.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 $290

$995 MX$18.7K

-70.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 $212

$382 MX$7,181

-44.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 $806

$1,674 MX$31.4K

-51.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 $356

$1,081 MX$20.3K

-67.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,134 $1,134

$3,909 MX$73.4K

-70.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$541 $541

$6,138 MX$115.3K

-91.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$254 $254

$832 MX$15.6K

-69.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.3

11.45

112.23%

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

Last update for Mahabad: 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

Mahabad

$212 40.2%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 80.4% $170

Groceries & Markets

Mahabad

$108 20.4%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 139% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Mahabad

$100 19%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 10.8% $11

Eating Out

Mahabad

$55 10.4%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 265% $145

Sport & Entertainment

Mahabad

$22 4.3%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 196% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahabad

$18 3.5%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 631% $116

Getting Around

Mahabad

$12 2.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 313% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $290 in Mahabad 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 in Playa del Carmen are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Mahabad versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $108 vs $257 – making Mahabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Mahabad

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:08 4:08 PM

07:38 7:38 AM

8 h 30 min behind Mahabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

208,541

149,923

💱 Currency

USD USD

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mahabad Playa del Carmen 11,940 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Mahabad
Playa del Carmen

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

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 128%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $792 per month in Mahabad 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 Mahabad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Kindergarten costs $107 per month in Mahabad and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 139% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mahabad, where all-in costs run around $528, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Mahabad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mahabad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Mahabad. 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.