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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $466 in Al `arish.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $729 in Al `arish.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 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 5% lower, Al `arish 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$4.06 E£208

192.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$13.87 E£708

209.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.37 E£274

98.32%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.45 E£74.2

137.93%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.42 E£21.28

257.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.12 E£6.28

691.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.30 E£66.4

133.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.93 E£98.4

138.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.97 E£49.79

42.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.47 E£23.89

293.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.72 E£36.71

123.61%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.57 E£80.0

64.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$1.96 E£100

321.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.16 E£213

101.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.30 E£424

28.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.45 E£74.2

81.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.60 E£30.75

148.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.38 E£19.49

405.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.37 E£18.84

464.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.50 E£25.67

272.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.50 E£25.49

352.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.27 E£13.72

292.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.17 E£8.59

541.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.89 E£96.7

119.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$4.27 E£218

143.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.47 E£75.1

17.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.64 E£83.9

59.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.16 E£8.32

237.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.31 E£15.87

909.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.23 E£11.74

991.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$1.96 E£99.9

60.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.33 E£17.08

284.85%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$30.8K E£1.6M

-1.24%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$36.2K E£1.9M

-34.97%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$19.68 E£1,005

321.75%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$7.27 E£371

212.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$10.63 E£543

177.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$22.07 E£1,127

131.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.87 E£351

-28.24%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$97.0 E£4,954

103.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$2,599 E£132.7K

103.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$16.96 E£866

117.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$62.0 E£3,166

-35.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$83.3 E£4,252

-3.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$50.3 E£2,567

77.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$192 E£9,793

398.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$101 E£5,136

374.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$304 E£15.5K

441.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$178 E£9,114

586.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$871 E£44.5K

349.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$462 E£23.6K

1298.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Al `arish: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $192 in Al `arish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $14.00 in Al `arish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $114 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 $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $698 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $192 in Al `arish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 119% 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 $466 in Al `arish – a 173% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $466 in Al `arish versus $1,271 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 $466 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.