Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al-'aziziyah Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al-'aziziyah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $328 in Al-'aziziyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $550 in Al-'aziziyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $771 in Al-'aziziyah.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 283% more expensive than in Al-'aziziyah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Al-'aziziyah 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$4.50 LYD 28.68

166.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$18.50 LYD 118

125.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$3.76 LYD 23.93

185.90%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.52 LYD 3.34

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 LYD 4.27

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$0.48 LYD 3.05

629.17%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.48 LYD 3.09

202.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.11 LYD 0.68

700.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.98 LYD 6.25

45.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.21 LYD 1.33

776.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.19 LYD 7.60

31.93%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.49 LYD 9.50

68.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$5.02 LYD 31.99

64.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.35 LYD 21.36

151.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$10.13 LYD 64.6

5.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.14 LYD 13.63

21.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.32 LYD 8.44

9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.76 LYD 4.81

157.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.52 LYD 3.33

301.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.70 LYD 4.47

164.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.53 LYD 3.39

309.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.38 LYD 2.44

171.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.20 LYD 1.27

435.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.27 LYD 8.10

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 LYD 4.28

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 LYD 4.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.86 LYD 11.85

120.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.89 LYD 5.69

262.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.90 LYD 5.71

167.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.54 LYD 28.91

-28.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.03 LYD 0.17

4300.00%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$13.6K LYD 86.3K

119.09%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$16.0K LYD 102.2K

47.53%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$32.33 LYD 206

153.67%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$8.35 LYD 53.2

174.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$22.91 LYD 146

31.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$4.46 LYD 28.39

11.66%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$51.3 LYD 327

284.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$921 LYD 5,869

479.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$21.19 LYD 135

68.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$35.10 LYD 224

14.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$49.64 LYD 316

58.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$56.1 LYD 357

58.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

17.5

-34.74%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Al-'aziziyah: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $18.00 in Al-'aziziyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $116 per month, with Al-'aziziyah 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-'aziziyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Al-'aziziyah differ by about 283% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $328 including rent). Al-'aziziyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $492 in Al-'aziziyah 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 114% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $328 in Al-'aziziyah – a 283% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $328 in Al-'aziziyah versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-'aziziyah but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Al-'aziziyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Al-'aziziyah are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Al-'aziziyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 283% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.