Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Aden

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,391 in Aden, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. The total is higher in Aden despite lower rent and utilities.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Aden
Learn more

Aden Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Aden

🇾🇪 Yemen

$1,391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Aden

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Aden actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,391 in Aden, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Aden $1,391

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,353 in Aden, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Aden $2,353

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,316 in Aden, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Aden $3,316

Playa del Carmen is about 13% cheaper than Aden, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Aden is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$12.61 YER 2,975

-13.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$36.51 YER 8,611

18.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$10.40 YER 2,453

13.27%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 YER 845

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 YER 1,039

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$3.98 YER 939

-4.27%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$3.32 YER 783

-61.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$1.77 YER 419

-55.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$5.04 YER 1,189

-72.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$2.39 YER 563

-7.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$9.70 YER 2,289

-85.36%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$10.28 YER 2,425

-75.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$8.40 YER 1,982

-13.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$15.71 YER 3,706

-50.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$57.4 YER 13.5K

-77.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$13.16 YER 3,104

-78.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$3.69 YER 870

-62.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$10.46 YER 2,468

-75.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$4.71 YER 1,110

-54.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$4.26 YER 1,004

-54.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$4.11 YER 969

-54.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$1.25 YER 295

-8.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$1.40 YER 331

-15.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$6.20 YER 1,463

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 YER 950

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$5.06 YER 1,194

-15.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$0.35 YER 81.6

57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$2.74 YER 646

-47.45%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$49.54 YER 11.7K

71.15%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$10.05 YER 2,371

132.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$25.01 YER 5,900

128.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$10.03 YER 2,365

188.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$5.85 YER 1,379

-12.14%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$33.86 YER 7,987

510.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$5,289 YER 1.2M

-25.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$108 YER 25.4K

-59.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$84.6 YER 20.0K

-51.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$109 YER 25.6K

-31.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$159 YER 37.5K

-43.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$237 YER 56.0K

312.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$259 YER 61.2K

46.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$827 YER 195.1K

106.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$546 YER 128.8K

96.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$599 YER 141.3K

558.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$450 YER 106.0K

1269.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$392 YER 92.6K

87.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.09%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Aden: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Aden

$259 18.7% 31.9% $121

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Aden

$626 45% 146% $371

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Aden

$200 14.4% 1% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Aden

$60 * 4.3% 56.5% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Aden

$207 14.9% 85.4% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Aden

$37 2.6% 45.5% $31

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Aden

$1.4 * 0.1% 97.3% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $237 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 87% 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 $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $37 in Aden. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $626 in Aden – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇾🇪 Aden

🕒 Local time

17:38 5:38 PM

01:38 1:38 AM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

508,489

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

YER, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Yemeni Rial exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 236 YER (1,000 YER = 4.24 USD). 1 EUR = 263 YER (1,000 YER = 3.8 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Aden 13,600 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Aden

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

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

Aden costs about 15% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,086 in Aden. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aden, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $237 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,391 in Aden. That makes Playa del Carmen about 13% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $34 in Aden. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,391 in Aden. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.