Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ait Melloul Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ait Melloul

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $691 in Ait Melloul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,084 in Ait Melloul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,477 in Ait Melloul.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 82% more expensive than in Ait Melloul, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Ait Melloul 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$209

$4.37 MAD 40.84

173.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$733

$25.22 MAD 236

66.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$6.95 MAD 65.0

49.93%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.4

$2.17 MAD 20.32

61.75%

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

$1.52 MX$26.50

$0.62 MAD 5.76

145.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.91

$0.32 MAD 3.03

184.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.1

$3.86 MAD 36.10

-21.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.4

$3.68 MAD 34.47

18.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.84

$0.87 MAD 8.15

63.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$32.00

$0.52 MAD 4.91

251.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.57

$1.65 MAD 15.41

-1.21%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.38

$1.81 MAD 16.89

40.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$150

$9.38 MAD 87.8

-8.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$5.11 MAD 47.81

66.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$189

$10.98 MAD 103

-1.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.14

$1.36 MAD 12.69

102.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.10

$1.21 MAD 11.30

19.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.97

$0.94 MAD 8.81

101.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.93

$0.82 MAD 7.67

164.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.10

$0.73 MAD 6.84

143.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.87

$0.78 MAD 7.32

184.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.68

$0.39 MAD 3.66

174.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.87

$0.60 MAD 5.58

80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.5

$4.23 MAD 39.54

-1.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$183

$7.11 MAD 66.5

46.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.47

$2.71 MAD 25.34

-35.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.11

$3.02 MAD 28.29

-14.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.97

$0.50 MAD 4.70

2.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$453

$16.20 MAD 152

60.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.1

$0.67 MAD 6.30

379.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.73

$0.52 MAD 4.85

380.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.7

$5.63 MAD 52.7

-43.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.96

$1.59 MAD 14.84

-20.75%

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

$29.7K MX$518.8K

$37.8K MAD 354.0K

-21.55%

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

$23.7K MX$413.9K

$20.3K MAD 190.1K

16.55%

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

$82.0 MX$1,434

$28.39 MAD 266

188.94%

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

$22.73 MX$397

$10.85 MAD 101

109.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$514

$28.46 MAD 266

3.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$912

$24.78 MAD 232

110.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$322

$22.93 MAD 214

-19.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.2

$6.43 MAD 60.1

-23.33%

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

$202 MX$3,526

$77.0 MAD 720

162.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.2K

$1,983 MAD 18.6K

163.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$628

$42.02 MAD 393

-14.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$705

$39.70 MAD 371

1.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,396

$47.67 MAD 446

67.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,561

$47.56 MAD 445

87.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.6K

$275 MAD 2,574

244.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,132

$175 MAD 1,640

165.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.5K

$508 MAD 4,757

220.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$305 MAD 2,855

290.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.7K

$1,336 MAD 12.5K

194.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.3K

$1,006 MAD 9,410

539.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

$374 MAD 3,500

75.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.75

140.42%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Last update for Ait Melloul: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Playa del Carmen and $275 in Ait Melloul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 76% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Ait Melloul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $183 per month, with Ait Melloul 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 Ait Melloul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ait Melloul is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 82% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 76% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $275 in Ait Melloul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $77.0 in Ait Melloul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $691 in Ait Melloul versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ait Melloul but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ait Melloul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ait Melloul 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 Ait Melloul 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 Ait Melloul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.