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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $945 in Adam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,427 in Adam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,910 in Adam.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 34% more expensive than in Adam, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Adam 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$5.33 OMR 2.05

117.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$33.37 OMR 12.85

41.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.71 OMR 2.97

54.09%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$4.83 OMR 1.86

-17.60%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.85 OMR 0.33

68.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.29 OMR 0.11

182.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$13.07 OMR 5.03

-75.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$12.97 OMR 4.99

-47.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$2.37 OMR 0.91

-29.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.29 OMR 0.50

70.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.88 OMR 0.72

-9.04%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$2.87 OMR 1.10

-4.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$7.67 OMR 2.95

24.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.81 OMR 2.62

32.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.51 OMR 4.04

21.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$3.44 OMR 1.32

-15.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.92 OMR 0.74

-21.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$2.34 OMR 0.90

-8.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.20 OMR 0.46

88.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.19 OMR 0.46

66.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.24 OMR 0.48

60.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$1.78 OMR 0.68

-30.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.66 OMR 0.26

81.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$6.32 OMR 2.43

-28.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$15.88 OMR 6.11

-34.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$5.67 OMR 2.18

-71.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$8.94 OMR 3.44

-67.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$3.28 OMR 1.26

64.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$2.61 OMR 1.01

42.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$7.61 OMR 2.93

-24.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$0.60 OMR 0.23

156.67%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$25.9K OMR 9,979

-13.01%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$22.4K OMR 8,642

16.09%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$172 OMR 66.3

-46.92%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$30.89 OMR 11.89

-18.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$71.3 OMR 27.45

-56.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$10.43 OMR 4.01

-53.40%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$288 OMR 111

-22.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$10.4K OMR 4,017

-59.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$55.7 OMR 21.44

-15.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$43.50 OMR 16.75

1.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$89.2 OMR 34.33

-10.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$96.6 OMR 37.18

-4.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$258 OMR 99.4

732.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$2,619 OMR 1,008

-71.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.25

118.10%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Adam: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Adam pays 245% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $33.00 in Adam. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $287, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 245% 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 $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $288 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 $33.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $945 in Adam versus $1,266 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 34% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.