Cost of Living Comparison Between Mohammedia and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Mohammedia and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $799 in Mohammedia versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,377 in Mohammedia versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,956 in Mohammedia versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Mohammedia costs roughly 37% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mohammedia 41% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mohammedia
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.44 MAD 41.10
$11.87 MX$204
-62.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.83 MAD 276
$42.90 MX$736
-30.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.97 MAD 64.5
$10.65 MX$183
-34.55%
Cappuccino
$1.81 MAD 16.75
$3.45 MX$59.2
-47.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.72 MAD 6.69
$1.50 MX$25.81
-52.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 MAD 3.52
$0.95 MX$16.28
-60.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.75 MAD 34.70
$3.03 MX$51.9
23.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 MAD 40.34
$4.61 MX$79.1
-5.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mohammedia
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.99 MAD 9.20
$1.38 MX$23.61
-28.26%
White Bread (500g)
$0.86 MAD 7.97
$1.85 MX$31.70
-53.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.01 MAD 18.63
$1.61 MX$27.65
24.84%
Eggs
$2.24 MAD 20.76
$2.59 MX$44.51
-13.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.28 MAD 104
$8.26 MX$142
36.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.92 MAD 64.0
$8.37 MX$144
-17.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.58 MAD 107
$10.66 MX$183
8.63%
Apples (1kg)
$1.56 MAD 14.46
$2.63 MX$45.12
-40.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.41 MAD 13.07
$1.49 MX$25.53
-5.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.77 MAD 7.11
$1.92 MX$32.94
-59.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.87 MAD 8.09
$2.09 MX$35.81
-58.37%
Potato (1kg)
$0.77 MAD 7.10
$1.86 MX$31.88
-58.60%
Onion (1kg)
$0.80 MAD 7.36
$2.26 MX$38.81
-64.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.51 MAD 4.71
$1.06 MX$18.23
-51.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.64 MAD 5.95
$1.09 MX$18.67
-41.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 MAD 41.00
$4.15 MX$71.2
6.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.00 MAD 74.0
$10.39 MX$178
-23.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.89 MAD 26.76
$1.72 MX$29.59
68.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.21 MAD 29.68
$2.61 MX$44.85
22.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Mohammedia
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.69 MAD 6.40
$0.54 MX$9.30
27.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$16.56 MAD 153
$26.94 MX$462
-38.53%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.73 MAD 6.78
$3.13 MX$53.7
-76.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.59 MAD 5.43
$2.51 MX$43.09
-76.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.35 MAD 49.51
$3.15 MX$54.1
69.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.61 MAD 14.90
$1.27 MX$21.88
26.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.9K MAD 341.6K
$30.4K MX$521.3K
21.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.3K MAD 252.8K
$23.6K MX$404.5K
15.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mohammedia
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$49.23 MAD 455
$83.0 MX$1,425
-40.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.24 MAD 104
$22.71 MX$390
-50.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.59 MAD 366
$29.46 MX$506
34.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mohammedia
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.51 MAD 254
$51.0 MX$875
-46.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.48 MAD 217
$18.33 MX$315
28.10%
Cinema Ticket
$8.80 MAD 81.4
$4.93 MX$84.5
78.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mohammedia
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$152 MAD 1,409
$197 MX$3,386
-22.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,489 MAD 50.8K
$5,280 MX$90.6K
3.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mohammedia
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.0 MAD 471
$36.90 MX$633
38.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.7 MAD 488
$39.89 MX$685
32.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 MAD 1,039
$80.0 MX$1,373
40.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.7 MAD 802
$89.5 MX$1,536
-3.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mohammedia
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$270 MAD 2,494
$956 MX$16.4K
-71.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$177 MAD 1,639
$477 MX$8,189
-62.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$512 MAD 4,740
$1,646 MX$28.3K
-68.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$521 MAD 4,821
$1,225 MX$21.0K
-57.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,637 MAD 15.1K
$3,918 MX$67.2K
-58.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,041 MAD 9,631
$6,459 MX$110.9K
-83.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mohammedia
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$587 MAD 5,426
$667 MX$11.4K
-12.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.35
11.42
-61.91%

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

Last update for Mohammedia: June 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $270 in Mohammedia and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 14% 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: $30.00 in Mohammedia vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $250 per month, with Mohammedia cheaper across the board.

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
Mohammedia vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Mohammedia and Playa del Carmen?
Mohammedia and Playa del Carmen differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($799 vs $1,271 including rent). Mohammedia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 14% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Mohammedia and Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $270 in Mohammedia versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Mohammedia – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $799 in Mohammedia versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mohammedia but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Mohammedia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Mohammedia and Playa del Carmen?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Mohammedia or Playa del Carmen safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Mohammedia 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.
Where should expats move: Mohammedia or Playa del Carmen?
Expats usually find Mohammedia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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