Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ahvaz

For one person, living is cheaper in Ahvaz: $576 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Ahvaz
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Ahvaz Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Ahvaz

🇮🇷 Iran

$576

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Ahvaz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $576 in Ahvaz, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Ahvaz $576

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $876 in Ahvaz, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Ahvaz $876

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,176 in Ahvaz, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Ahvaz $1,176

Playa del Carmen costs about 109% more than Ahvaz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ahvaz are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Ahvaz 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$1.97 $1.97

454.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$12.14 $12.14

257.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$3.83 $3.83

207.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 $0.86

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 $1.13

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$1.19 $1.19

220.17%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$0.48 $0.48

166.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.95 $0.95

-17.89%

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$26.43

$0.88 $0.88

60.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$0.57 $0.57

289.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$1.81 $1.81

-21.55%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$1.25 $1.25

101.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$4.15 $4.15

74.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$3.79 $3.79

103.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$9.30 $9.30

36.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$0.86 $0.86

223.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$1.40 $1.40

-2.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$0.78 $0.78

226.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$0.54 $0.54

292.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$0.60 $0.60

223.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$0.54 $0.54

250.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$0.44 $0.44

161.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$0.31 $0.31

280.65%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.03 $1.03

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 $1.15

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$2.21 $2.21

94.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.15 $0.15

266.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$9.71 $9.71

174.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$0.48 $0.48

935.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$0.52 $0.52

540.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$2.93 $2.93

82.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$0.10 $0.10

1340.00%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$117.4K $117.4K

-82.40%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$62.6K $62.6K

-62.49%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$14.03 $14.03

504.35%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$1.55 $1.55

1410.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$7.04 $7.04

307.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$18.14 $18.14

214.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$5.93 $5.93

387.52%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$1.19 $1.19

331.93%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$104 $104

97.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$636 $636

517.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$53.4 $53.4

-18.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$47.31 $47.31

-12.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$94.9 $94.9

-21.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$103 $103

-13.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$312 $312

213.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$225 $225

69.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$512 $512

233.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$349 $349

208.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$1,274 $1,274

209.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$742 $742

729.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$541 $541

35.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

23.67

-51.63%

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 Ahvaz: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Ahvaz

$225 39% 40.9% $156

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Ahvaz

$113 19.6% 55.6% $142

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Ahvaz

$47 8.2% 76.6% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Ahvaz

$23 3.9% 83.5% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Ahvaz

$135 23.4% 20.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Ahvaz

$21 3.6% 69.5% $47

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Ahvaz

$13 2.3% 73.5% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $312 in Ahvaz. 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 36% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $12 in Ahvaz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $113 – making Ahvaz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇷 Ahvaz

🕒 Local time

01:48 1:48 AM

10:18 10:18 AM

8 h 30 min ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

1,184,788

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Playa del Carmen Ahvaz 12,560 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Ahvaz

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 Ahvaz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 109%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $865 in Ahvaz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ahvaz, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $312 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $12 in Ahvaz. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $576 in Ahvaz. That makes Ahvaz about 52% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ahvaz, where all-in costs run around $576, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Ahvaz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ahvaz – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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