Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al-hawamidiyah Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al-hawamidiyah

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $465 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,130 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $755 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,999 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,045 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 171% more than Al-hawamidiyah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Al-hawamidiyah are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Al-hawamidiyah 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$203

$3.62 E£190

222.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$728

$15.74 E£828

166.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$181

$4.70 E£247

121.28%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.9

$1.48 E£78.1

143.92%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.29 E£15.00

406.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.86

$0.12 E£6.36

658.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$1.22 E£64.3

148.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.7

$2.97 E£156

50.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.91

$0.86 E£45.36

60.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.04

$0.73 E£38.17

152.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.91

$0.65 E£34.09

147.69%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.67

$1.45 E£76.4

77.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$3.95 E£208

114.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$4.46 E£235

90.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$191

$9.80 E£516

12.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.42

$1.43 E£75.3

90.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.01

$0.55 E£28.84

172.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.05

$0.42 E£22.27

366.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.83

$0.37 E£19.31

472.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.41

$0.38 E£19.98

389.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.80

$0.43 E£22.88

404.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.65

$0.24 E£12.68

345.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.24

$0.22 E£11.33

377.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.9

$2.02 E£106

107.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$179

$4.97 E£262

106.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.97

$1.42 E£74.5

17.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.27

$2.69 E£141

-7.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.41

$0.19 E£10.10

184.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$54.0

$0.56 E£29.56

453.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.81

$0.46 E£24.07

434.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.3

$2.01 E£106

61.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.91

$0.31 E£16.15

306.45%

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

$30.2K MX$524.6K

$35.0K E£1.8M

-13.80%

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

$23.4K MX$407.7K

$33.8K E£1.8M

-30.63%

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

$84.0 MX$1,461

$11.50 E£605

630.35%

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

$22.21 MX$386

$5.66 E£298

292.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$516

$10.09 E£531

193.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$915

$22.05 E£1,160

138.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$319

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$86.0

$3.03 E£160

63.37%

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

$198 MX$3,449

$88.1 E£4,635

125.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.5K

$1,870 E£98.4K

184.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$625

$28.03 E£1,475

28.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$697

$48.65 E£2,560

-17.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,370

$106 E£5,601

-25.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,504

$51.0 E£2,685

69.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$17.0K

$188 E£9,884

419.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,186

$100 E£5,278

369.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.7K

$312 E£16.4K

411.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$176 E£9,264

589.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$70.1K

$764 E£40.2K

427.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.4K

$434 E£22.9K

1414.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-32.82%

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-hawamidiyah: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $188 in Al-hawamidiyah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Playa del Carmen versus $16 in Al-hawamidiyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $130 – making Al-hawamidiyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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-hawamidiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 171% more than Al-hawamidiyah, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,891 per month in Playa del Carmen and $698 in Al-hawamidiyah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al-hawamidiyah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $16.00 in Al-hawamidiyah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 94% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Al-hawamidiyah, where all-in costs run around $465, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,261. In Al-hawamidiyah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Al-hawamidiyah costs $465 versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Al-hawamidiyah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.