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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $455 in Al `arish.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $729 in Al `arish.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,004 in Al `arish.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 177% more expensive than in Al `arish, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Al `arish 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$3.98 E£200

194.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$13.71 E£690

205.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.38 E£271

95.35%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.46 E£73.5

145.89%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.39 E£19.59

287.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.13 E£6.38

607.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.27 E£63.8

133.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$1.94 E£97.8

127.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$0.97 E£49.00

44.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.51 E£25.83

268.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$0.77 E£38.49

102.60%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.49 E£75.1

75.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$2.06 E£103

303.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$4.17 E£210

100.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$8.19 E£412

32.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.41 E£70.9

92.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$0.56 E£28.06

169.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$0.36 E£17.90

419.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.40 E£20.03

447.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.50 E£25.03

272.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.50 E£25.13

346.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.27 E£13.39

296.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.18 E£9.01

505.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$1.88 E£94.8

122.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$4.33 E£218

140.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.40 E£70.5

18.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.72 E£86.6

51.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.18 E£9.15

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.29 E£14.54

962.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.25 E£12.65

860.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$1.96 E£98.8

59.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.33 E£16.72

296.97%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$31.1K E£1.6M

-4.14%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$36.7K E£1.8M

-36.38%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$19.44 E£978

318.11%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$7.34 E£369

207.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$10.74 E£540

179.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$22.66 E£1,140

133.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.81 E£342

-27.75%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$94.7 E£4,765

111.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$2,649 E£133.3K

95.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$16.88 E£849

112.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$61.6 E£3,096

-34.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$85.0 E£4,277

-6.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$51.2 E£2,577

68.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$187 E£9,427

421.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$101 E£5,084

365.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$305 E£15.4K

441.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$178 E£8,969

574.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$792 E£39.9K

398.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$441 E£22.2K

1399.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Al `arish: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $187 in Al `arish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $14.00 in Al `arish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 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 177% 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 $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $683 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $187 in Al `arish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 120% 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 $455 in Al `arish – a 177% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $455 in Al `arish versus $1,260 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 $455 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 177% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.