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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $462 in Al `arish.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $728 in Al `arish.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $993 in Al `arish.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 173% more expensive than Al `arish, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Al `arish 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$203

$3.87 E£204

201.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$728

$14.03 E£738

198.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$181

$5.48 E£288

89.78%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.9

$1.41 E£74.0

156.03%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.41 E£21.62

258.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.86

$0.15 E£7.82

506.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$1.27 E£66.6

138.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.7

$1.94 E£102

130.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.91

$0.93 E£48.84

48.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.04

$0.47 E£24.59

291.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.91

$0.71 E£37.09

126.76%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.67

$1.49 E£78.3

72.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$1.98 E£104

328.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$4.09 E£215

107.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$191

$8.27 E£435

32.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.42

$1.46 E£76.6

86.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.01

$0.60 E£31.43

150.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.05

$0.38 E£20.11

415.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.83

$0.40 E£20.85

430.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.41

$0.50 E£26.37

272.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.80

$0.53 E£27.71

309.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.65

$0.29 E£15.45

268.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.24

$0.15 E£8.09

600.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.9

$1.97 E£104

112.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$179

$4.29 E£226

139.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.97

$1.45 E£76.0

15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.27

$1.65 E£87.0

50.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.41

$0.17 E£9.01

217.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$54.0

$0.31 E£16.46

900.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.81

$0.23 E£12.03

969.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.3

$1.93 E£101

67.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.91

$0.33 E£17.36

281.82%

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

$30.2K MX$524.6K

$30.1K E£1.6M

0.34%

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

$23.4K MX$407.7K

$35.9K E£1.9M

-34.67%

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

$84.0 MX$1,461

$19.29 E£1,015

335.41%

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

$22.21 MX$386

$7.42 E£390

199.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$516

$10.77 E£567

175.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$915

$21.96 E£1,155

139.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$319

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$86.0

$6.75 E£355

-26.67%

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

$198 MX$3,449

$97.2 E£5,114

104.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.5K

$2,652 E£139.5K

100.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$625

$17.46 E£918

105.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$697

$62.3 E£3,279

-35.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,370

$83.5 E£4,392

-5.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,504

$51.8 E£2,725

67.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$17.0K

$191 E£10.1K

410.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,186

$99.0 E£5,209

375.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.7K

$309 E£16.3K

416.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$178 E£9,340

584.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$70.1K

$748 E£39.4K

438.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.4K

$397 E£20.9K

1556.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

23.33

-51.05%

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 `arish: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $14 in Al `arish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $113 per month, with Al `arish 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 `arish: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al `arish wins on cost – living expenses run 173% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al `arish the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Playa del Carmen and $694 in Al `arish 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 `arish. 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 $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $462 in Al `arish – a 173% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $462 in Al `arish versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al `arish but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Al `arish the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al `arish delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $462 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al `arish hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Al `arish gentler on the wallet – expenses run 173% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.