Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mazar-i-Sharif and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Mazar-i-Sharif: $292 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Mazar-i-Sharif
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Mazar-i-Sharif Living Index
59

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

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Mazar-i-Sharif

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$292

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $292 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Mazar-i-Sharif $292
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $461 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Mazar-i-Sharif $461
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $630 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Mazar-i-Sharif $630
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Mazar-i-Sharif costs roughly 76% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mazar-i-Sharif 78% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.38 ؋154

$10.86 MX$201

-78.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.47 ؋1,003

$44.21 MX$817

-65.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 ؋260

$11.76 MX$217

-65.90%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.54 ؋489

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.50 ؋486

Cappuccino

$1.23 ؋79.8

$3.68 MX$68.0

-66.58%

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

$0.57 ؋36.96

$1.34 MX$24.79

-57.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ؋19.28

$0.82 MX$15.24

-63.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

Milk (1 liter)

$0.65 ؋42.20

$1.47 MX$27.17

-55.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.15 ؋9.99

$2.22 MX$40.95

-93.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 ؋136

$1.48 MX$27.32

41.89%

Eggs

$1.65 ؋107

$2.49 MX$45.99

-33.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 ؋486

$7.52 MX$139

-0.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ؋214

$7.96 MX$147

-58.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.09 ؋395

$12.57 MX$232

-51.55%

Apples (1kg)

$0.59 ؋38.30

$2.78 MX$51.3

-78.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 ؋73.5

$1.43 MX$26.37

-20.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.82 ؋53.2

$2.62 MX$48.37

-68.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 ؋39.27

$2.14 MX$39.49

-71.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 ؋30.46

$2.02 MX$37.38

-76.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 ؋24.88

$1.99 MX$36.74

-80.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ؋36.54

$1.14 MX$21.01

-50.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 ؋20.97

$1.20 MX$22.18

-73.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.86 ؋121

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.57 ؋102

$4.26 MX$78.7

-63.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 ؋52.2

$0.53 MX$9.73

52.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ؋98.7

$5.38 MX$99.4

-71.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 ؋99.4

$1.45 MX$26.76

5.52%

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

$9,927 ؋643.5K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

-53.08%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

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

$83.3 ؋5,399

$85.4 MX$1,577

-2.44%

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

$16.98 ؋1,101

$23.46 MX$434

-27.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.53 ؋747

$62.2 MX$1,149

-81.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.87 ؋251

$28.68 MX$530

-86.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.68 ؋304

$5.10 MX$94.3

-8.24%

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

$76.6 ؋4,967

$201 MX$3,715

-61.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.93 ؋838

$44.39 MX$820

-70.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$18.48 ؋1,198

$89.6 MX$1,656

-79.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$235 ؋15.2K

$738 MX$13.6K

-68.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Mazar-i-Sharif: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mazar-i-Sharif

$105 35.8%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 147% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mazar-i-Sharif

$100 * 34.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 36.9% $37

Eating Out

Mazar-i-Sharif

$49 16.9%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 306% $151

Sport & Entertainment

Mazar-i-Sharif

$21 7.2%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 247% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Mazar-i-Sharif

$14 * 4.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 690% $98

Getting Around

Mazar-i-Sharif

$3.2 * 1.1%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 1505% $48

Accommodation & Living

Mazar-i-Sharif

- * 0%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Playa del Carmen pays 214% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $15.00 in Mazar-i-Sharif vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $105 vs $258 per month, with Mazar-i-Sharif cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇫 Mazar-i-Sharif

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

11:11 11:11 AM

01:41 1:41 AM

9 h 30 min behind Mazar-i-Sharif

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

300,600

149,923

💱 Currency

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.37 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to AFN – Afghanistan Afghani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇫 Afghanistan Afghani (؋)

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 64.83 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.88 AFN (100 AFN = 1.37 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to AFN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mazar-i-Sharif Playa del Carmen 13,090 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Mazar-i-Sharif
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

Mazar-i-Sharif vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mazar-i-Sharif is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 312% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 214% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 147% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $292 per month in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – a 312% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $292 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mazar-i-Sharif but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Mazar-i-Sharif the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mazar-i-Sharif is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Mazar-i-Sharif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 312% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.