Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al `alamayn Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al `alamayn

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $483 in Al `alamayn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $758 in Al `alamayn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,033 in Al `alamayn.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 161% more expensive than Al `alamayn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Al `alamayn 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$203

$5.96 E£314

95.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$728

$13.66 E£719

206.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$181

$4.05 E£213

156.79%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.9

$0.93 E£49.16

288.17%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.35 E£18.15

320.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.86

$0.11 E£5.78

727.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$1.16 E£61.0

161.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.7

$3.00 E£158

49.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.91

$0.99 E£52.3

39.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.04

$0.29 E£15.01

534.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.91

$0.58 E£30.60

177.59%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.67

$1.48 E£78.0

73.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$2.41 E£127

252.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$4.34 E£228

95.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$191

$7.55 E£397

45.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.42

$1.34 E£70.5

103.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.01

$0.56 E£29.51

167.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.05

$0.47 E£24.93

317.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.83

$0.27 E£14.34

685.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.41

$0.33 E£17.19

463.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.80

$0.44 E£23.24

393.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.65

$0.34 E£17.79

214.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.24

$0.23 E£12.11

356.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.9

$1.92 E£101

118.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$179

$4.27 E£225

140.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.97

$1.36 E£71.6

22.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.27

$1.80 E£94.9

38.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.41

$0.16 E£8.56

237.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$54.0

$0.38 E£20.22

715.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.81

$0.29 E£15.04

748.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.3

$0.98 E£51.5

230.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.91

$0.32 E£16.94

293.75%

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

$30.2K MX$524.6K

$35.5K E£1.9M

-15.13%

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

$23.4K MX$407.7K

$33.1K E£1.7M

-29.18%

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

$84.0 MX$1,461

$24.46 E£1,287

243.38%

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

$22.21 MX$386

$9.84 E£518

125.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$516

$15.91 E£837

86.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$915

$21.99 E£1,157

139.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$319

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$86.0

$2.91 E£153

70.10%

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

$198 MX$3,449

$32.53 E£1,711

509.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.5K

$1,841 E£96.8K

189.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$625

$17.98 E£946

99.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$697

$43.35 E£2,280

-7.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,370

$114 E£6,000

-30.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,504

$75.0 E£3,943

15.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$17.0K

$191 E£10.0K

412.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,186

$98.6 E£5,188

377.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.7K

$309 E£16.2K

417.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$181 E£9,515

571.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$70.1K

$819 E£43.1K

392.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.4K

$462 E£24.3K

1322.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-42.90%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Al `alamayn: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $191 in Al `alamayn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $14 in Al `alamayn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $111 per month, with Al `alamayn 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 Al `alamayn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al `alamayn is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 161% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Playa del Carmen and $725 in Al `alamayn 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: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $191 in Al `alamayn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 127% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $483 in Al `alamayn – a 161% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $483 in Al `alamayn versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al `alamayn but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Al `alamayn the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al `alamayn 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.

Expats usually find Al `alamayn gentler on the wallet – expenses run 161% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.