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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $440 in Al `arish.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $690 in Al `arish.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $940 in Al `arish.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 188% more expensive than in Al `arish, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Al `arish 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.10 E£214

182.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$14.22 E£741

231.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$4.76 E£248

149.58%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.19 E£62.3

234.45%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.36 E£18.68

297.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.13 E£6.64

530.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.47 E£76.9

117.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.84 E£148

139.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$0.87 E£45.42

93.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.34 E£17.99

547.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$0.63 E£33.07

171.43%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.39 E£72.6

97.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$2.38 E£124

302.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.90 E£204

131.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$8.32 E£434

53.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.57 E£81.7

84.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.62 E£32.38

141.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$0.40 E£20.93

437.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$0.35 E£18.29

545.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.47 E£24.59

321.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.50 E£25.98

298.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.25 E£13.13

392.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.20 E£10.19

500.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.06 E£108

120.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$4.79 E£250

116.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.39 E£72.4

16.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.68 E£87.8

71.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.21 E£10.90

185.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.41 E£21.41

1214.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.37 E£19.09

908.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$1.91 E£99.7

202.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.43 E£22.28

258.14%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$32.8K E£1.7M

-31.22%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$27.3K E£1.4M

-4.60%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$16.85 E£879

442.31%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$7.52 E£392

235.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$19.33 E£1,008

61.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$14.91 E£777

350.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$4.39 E£229

10.71%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$94.6 E£4,931

136.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$2,495 E£130.1K

69.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$16.79 E£875

180.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$59.8 E£3,117

-25.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$81.2 E£4,235

-1.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$49.82 E£2,598

85.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$151 E£7,858

605.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$86.3 E£4,498

352.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$292 E£15.2K

635.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$166 E£8,678

664.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$677 E£35.3K

491.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$357 E£18.6K

1719.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-42.75%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Al `arish: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $151 in Al `arish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $14.00 in Al `arish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $112 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 188% 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 $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $659 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $151 in Al `arish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 145% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $440 in Al `arish – a 188% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $440 in Al `arish versus $1,266 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 $440 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 188% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.