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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $497 in Al `alamayn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $776 in Al `alamayn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,056 in Al `alamayn.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 153% more expensive than in Al `alamayn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Al `alamayn 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$6.06 E£305

93.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$13.77 E£693

204.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$3.88 E£195

170.88%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$0.93 E£46.94

286.02%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.35 E£17.42

331.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.11 E£5.65

736.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.16 E£58.3

155.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.98 E£150

47.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.03 E£52.0

35.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.31 E£15.79

506.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$0.58 E£29.11

168.97%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.47 E£73.9

77.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$2.42 E£122

243.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$4.21 E£212

98.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.39 E£372

46.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.35 E£67.8

100.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$0.61 E£30.76

147.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$0.44 E£22.17

325.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.27 E£13.68

711.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.36 E£17.96

416.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.41 E£20.82

443.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.33 E£16.75

224.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.21 E£10.53

419.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$1.88 E£94.3

122.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$6.87 E£345

51.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.35 E£68.1

22.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.79 E£89.9

45.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.16 E£8.12

237.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.41 E£20.66

651.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.29 E£14.57

727.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$1.01 E£50.8

209.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.30 E£14.99

336.67%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$35.4K E£1.8M

-15.82%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$33.1K E£1.7M

-29.49%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$24.01 E£1,207

238.53%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$9.91 E£498

127.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$15.70 E£790

91.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$22.01 E£1,107

140.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$2.93 E£147

67.92%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$33.06 E£1,663

507.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$1,869 E£94.0K

176.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$17.75 E£893

102.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$41.95 E£2,110

-4.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$114 E£5,723

-29.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$75.7 E£3,806

14.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$192 E£9,637

410.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$98.2 E£4,938

379.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$308 E£15.5K

435.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$175 E£8,819

586.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$795 E£40.0K

397.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$388 E£19.5K

1601.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Al `alamayn: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $192 in Al `alamayn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $14.00 in Al `alamayn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $115 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 153% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $746 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $192 in Al `alamayn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 118% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $497 in Al `alamayn – a 153% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $497 in Al `alamayn versus $1,260 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 153% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.