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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $673 in Ait Melloul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,062 in Ait Melloul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,450 in Ait Melloul.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 89% more expensive than Ait Melloul, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ait Melloul 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$207

$4.42 MAD 40.86

168.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$749

$25.47 MAD 236

68.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$186

$7.11 MAD 65.7

49.79%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$60.2

$2.13 MAD 19.68

61.97%

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

$1.50 MX$26.27

$0.63 MAD 5.80

138.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.57

$0.33 MAD 3.02

187.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.9

$3.78 MAD 34.96

-19.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$80.5

$3.70 MAD 34.19

24.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.03

$0.94 MAD 8.73

46.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$32.27

$0.50 MAD 4.60

270.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.14

$1.63 MAD 15.08

-1.23%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.30

$1.88 MAD 17.43

37.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$144

$9.50 MAD 87.9

-13.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$146

$5.08 MAD 46.96

64.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$186

$11.13 MAD 103

-4.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.93

$1.43 MAD 13.20

83.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.99

$1.27 MAD 11.76

17.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.53

$0.90 MAD 8.36

113.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.44

$0.83 MAD 7.65

151.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.44

$0.74 MAD 6.83

151.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.50

$0.79 MAD 7.33

186.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.56

$0.39 MAD 3.61

171.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$19.00

$0.63 MAD 5.86

73.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.5

$4.04 MAD 37.40

2.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$182

$7.13 MAD 65.9

45.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$30.12

$2.71 MAD 25.07

-36.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.64

$2.92 MAD 27.05

-10.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.46

$0.51 MAD 4.70

5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$471

$16.18 MAD 150

66.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.6

$0.67 MAD 6.22

367.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.85

$0.52 MAD 4.85

382.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$5.40 MAD 49.97

-41.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.27

$1.59 MAD 14.71

-20.13%

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

$30.4K MX$530.6K

$36.9K MAD 341.3K

-17.69%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$20.4K MAD 189.0K

15.35%

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

$83.0 MX$1,450

$28.46 MAD 263

191.64%

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

$22.71 MX$397

$10.82 MAD 100

109.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$515

$28.00 MAD 259

5.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$891

$24.12 MAD 223

111.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$320

$22.92 MAD 212

-20.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$6.76 MAD 62.5

-27.07%

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

$197 MX$3,447

$75.7 MAD 701

160.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$92.2K

$1,959 MAD 18.1K

169.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$645

$43.21 MAD 400

-14.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$697

$39.80 MAD 368

0.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,398

$47.57 MAD 440

68.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,563

$47.11 MAD 436

89.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.7K

$280 MAD 2,588

241.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,334

$174 MAD 1,612

173.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.8K

$513 MAD 4,747

220.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.4K

$311 MAD 2,873

294.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$68.4K

$1,591 MAD 14.7K

146.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$112.8K

$947 MAD 8,763

581.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.7K

$376 MAD 3,481

77.24%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ait Melloul: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $280 in Ait Melloul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 77% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Ait Melloul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $185 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 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 77% more on average, 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $280 in Ait Melloul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $75.7 in Ait Melloul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $673 in Ait Melloul versus $1,271 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 89% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.