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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $812 in Adam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,221 in Adam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,630 in Adam.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 55% more expensive than in Adam, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Adam 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$5.23 OMR 2.01

124.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$26.11 OMR 10.05

60.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.82 OMR 3.01

34.40%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$4.78 OMR 1.84

-24.90%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.05 OMR 0.40

43.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.32 OMR 0.12

187.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$12.32 OMR 4.74

-75.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$11.81 OMR 4.55

-62.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$2.00 OMR 0.77

-30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.22 OMR 0.47

54.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.67 OMR 0.64

-6.59%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.46 OMR 0.95

6.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$3.71 OMR 1.43

124.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$4.98 OMR 1.92

67.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$8.48 OMR 3.27

28.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.57 OMR 0.99

5.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.75 OMR 0.67

-13.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.77 OMR 0.68

5.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.13 OMR 0.43

93.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.02 OMR 0.39

82.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.97 OMR 0.38

129.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.04 OMR 0.40

2.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.56 OMR 0.22

94.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$6.22 OMR 2.39

-32.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$15.91 OMR 6.12

-34.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$4.19 OMR 1.61

-60.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$7.57 OMR 2.91

-65.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$3.15 OMR 1.21

-2.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.80 OMR 0.31

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$10.46 OMR 4.03

-70.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.61 OMR 0.23

114.75%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$22.7K OMR 8,729

31.44%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$21.5K OMR 8,287

8.33%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$107 OMR 41.27

-24.19%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$41.88 OMR 16.12

-46.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$68.8 OMR 26.49

-56.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$10.30 OMR 3.97

-52.23%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$195 OMR 74.9

3.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$9,958 OMR 3,833

-48.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$51.3 OMR 19.74

-29.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$39.47 OMR 15.19

1.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$78.5 OMR 30.22

1.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$88.6 OMR 34.11

-2.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$2,641 OMR 1,017

-74.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.15

121.75%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Adam: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Adam pays 290% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $26.00 in Adam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $230 per month, with Adam 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

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

Adam is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 290% lower in Adam. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $195 in Adam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Adam – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $812 in Adam versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Adam but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Adam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Adam 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Adam are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Adam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.