Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ajdabiya Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ajdabiya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $122 in Ajdabiya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $197 in Ajdabiya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $271 in Ajdabiya.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 951% more expensive than Ajdabiya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Ajdabiya 91% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$8.15 LYD 51.7

36.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.50 LYD 9.52

76.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.07 LYD 6.79

40.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$0.76 LYD 4.79

161.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.47 LYD 3.00

342.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.47 LYD 3.00

280.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.47 LYD 2.99

363.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.18 LYD 1.13

477.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$1.86 LYD 11.77

113.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.95 LYD 6.04

230.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

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

$22.45 MX$393

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

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

$198 MX$3,462

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$126 LYD 802

661.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$74.6 LYD 473

522.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$273 LYD 1,728

485.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$145 LYD 919

733.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Ajdabiya: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $126 in Ajdabiya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

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 Ajdabiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ajdabiya wins on cost – living expenses run 951% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ajdabiya the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $184 in Ajdabiya 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $126 in Ajdabiya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 419% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $122 in Ajdabiya – a 951% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $122 in Ajdabiya versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ajdabiya but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ajdabiya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ajdabiya delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $122 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ajdabiya hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Ajdabiya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 951% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.