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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $679 in Ait Melloul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,068 in Ait Melloul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,457 in Ait Melloul.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 92% more expensive than in Ait Melloul, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ait Melloul 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.82 MAD 35.85

213.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$25.21 MAD 237

87.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$6.30 MAD 59.2

86.51%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.19 MAD 20.62

88.13%

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

$1.40 MX$23.75

$0.91 MAD 8.60

53.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.37 MAD 3.50

145.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$5.22 MAD 49.03

-38.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.67 MAD 43.89

51.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.46

$0.84 MAD 7.85

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.50

$0.55 MAD 5.13

290.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.11

$1.55 MAD 14.56

14.19%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.78

$1.73 MAD 16.26

63.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$8.19 MAD 76.9

12.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$5.44 MAD 51.1

69.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$11.88 MAD 112

6.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.30 MAD 12.19

126.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.80

$1.23 MAD 11.51

28.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.72

$0.93 MAD 8.71

138.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.11

$0.74 MAD 6.98

218.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.82

$0.75 MAD 7.09

165.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.60

$0.84 MAD 7.90

135.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.05

$0.26 MAD 2.46

376.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.56

$0.56 MAD 5.28

116.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$4.23 MAD 39.71

8.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

$8.16 MAD 76.7

28.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.71

$2.40 MAD 22.52

-29.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.09

$3.39 MAD 31.87

-18.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.23

$0.53 MAD 4.96

13.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$20.61 MAD 194

44.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.9

$0.63 MAD 5.91

731.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.62 MAD 5.86

488.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.2

$7.31 MAD 68.7

-20.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.11

$1.50 MAD 14.08

2.67%

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

$22.8K MX$387.0K

$35.5K MAD 333.8K

-35.81%

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

$25.8K MX$438.1K

$30.9K MAD 290.7K

-16.55%

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

$90.7 MX$1,539

$24.94 MAD 234

263.55%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$9.62 MAD 90.4

161.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$30.70 MAD 288

3.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,168

$23.77 MAD 223

189.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$23.72 MAD 223

23.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$5.36 MAD 50.4

-9.33%

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

$226 MX$3,830

$73.0 MAD 686

209.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$1,878 MAD 17.6K

123.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$33.13 MAD 311

43.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$44.44 MAD 418

-2.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,362

$60.3 MAD 566

33.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,551

$47.41 MAD 446

92.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$283 MAD 2,656

284.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,936

$153 MAD 1,433

167.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$481 MAD 4,524

309.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$242 MAD 2,274

429.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

$1,180 MAD 11.1K

243.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.8K

$918 MAD 8,630

629.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.5

227.14%

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 Ait Melloul: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $283 in Ait Melloul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Ait Melloul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $182 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 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,018 in Ait Melloul to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $283 in Ait Melloul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $73.0 in Ait Melloul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $679 in Ait Melloul versus $1,305 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 92% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.