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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,848 in Aden, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,973 in Aden, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,098 in Aden, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 29% cheaper than Aden, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 5% below the global median, while Aden is 34% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$12.52 YER 2,965

-4.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$36.39 YER 8,616

30.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$10.11 YER 2,393

16.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 YER 854

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 YER 1,031

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.1

$3.99 YER 945

3.26%

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

$1.40 MX$23.78

$3.35 YER 793

-58.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$1.76 YER 417

-48.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.49

$5.26 YER 1,246

-68.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$2.29 YER 541

-6.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$9.39 YER 2,223

-81.15%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.83

$10.23 YER 2,423

-72.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$10.66 YER 2,523

-13.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$20.73 YER 4,907

-55.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$56.0 YER 13.3K

-77.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$15.30 YER 3,622

-80.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.83

$3.52 YER 834

-55.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$10.70 YER 2,532

-79.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.15

$4.19 YER 991

-43.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.86

$4.32 YER 1,022

-53.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.63

$3.58 YER 848

-44.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$1.07 YER 253

15.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$1.40 YER 332

-13.57%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$6.31 YER 1,493

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 YER 987

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$6.58 YER 1,559

-30.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.24

$1.04 YER 245

-42.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

$93.5 YER 22.1K

-68.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$3.42 YER 809

53.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$8.55 YER 2,025

-32.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$3.35 YER 794

-54.03%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$17.1K YER 4.1M

33.11%

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

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$63.8K YER 15.1M

-59.55%

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

$90.7 MX$1,540

$87.6 YER 20.7K

3.56%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$10.01 YER 2,370

151.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$124 YER 29.5K

-74.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

$76.5 YER 18.1K

-10.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

$26.05 YER 6,168

12.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$6.06 YER 1,435

-19.80%

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

$226 MX$3,834

$121 YER 28.6K

86.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$4,734 YER 1.1M

-11.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$101 YER 23.9K

-53.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

$104 YER 24.5K

-58.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$161 YER 38.1K

-50.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$185 YER 43.8K

-50.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$333 YER 78.7K

226.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,943

$323 YER 76.4K

26.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$804 YER 190.2K

145.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

$654 YER 154.9K

95.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

$1,265 YER 299.5K

219.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

$843 YER 199.7K

694.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$460 YER 108.9K

68.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.5

-0.43%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Aden: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $333 in Aden. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 68% higher in Playa del Carmen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $36.00 in Aden. Groceries tell a different story – $278 in Playa del Carmen vs $660 in Aden – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Aden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aden costs about 42% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,772 in Aden. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $36.00 in Aden. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $1,848 in Aden. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,305, than in Aden at $1,848. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aden it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,305 versus $1,848 in Aden. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aden makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.