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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $485 in Al `alamayn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $770 in Al `alamayn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,055 in Al `alamayn.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 162% more expensive than Al `alamayn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Al `alamayn 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$5.82 E£297

103.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$13.92 E£711

208.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.02 E£205

164.93%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$0.90 E£46.12

283.33%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.32 E£16.26

368.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.10 E£5.30

850.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.17 E£59.5

158.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.91 E£149

58.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.99 E£50.6

39.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.29 E£14.74

537.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.58 E£29.49

177.59%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.52 E£77.7

70.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$2.52 E£129

227.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.26 E£218

96.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$7.39 E£377

44.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.34 E£68.5

96.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.60 E£30.75

148.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.44 E£22.54

336.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.25 E£12.73

736.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.33 E£16.61

463.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.41 E£21.09

451.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.34 E£17.35

211.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.23 E£11.76

373.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.95 E£99.6

112.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.50 E£281

88.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.31 E£67.0

31.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.87 E£95.7

39.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.17 E£8.54

217.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.42 E£21.29

645.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.31 E£15.86

709.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$1.01 E£51.6

211.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.30 E£15.11

323.33%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$34.9K E£1.8M

-12.89%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$33.2K E£1.7M

-29.07%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$24.25 E£1,238

242.27%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$9.66 E£494

135.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$15.83 E£808

86.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$22.19 E£1,133

129.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$2.98 E£152

65.44%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$32.97 E£1,684

498.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$1,838 E£93.9K

187.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$17.75 E£907

107.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$42.16 E£2,153

-5.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$113 E£5,791

-29.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$75.1 E£3,835

19.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$186 E£9,495

414.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$98.1 E£5,012

386.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$314 E£16.0K

424.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$174 E£8,897

602.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$752 E£38.4K

421.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$400 E£20.4K

1515.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Al `alamayn: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $186 in Al `alamayn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $14.00 in Al `alamayn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $113 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 162% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $728 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $186 in Al `alamayn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 122% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $485 in Al `alamayn – a 162% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $485 in Al `alamayn versus $1,271 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 162% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.