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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $468 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $743 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,018 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 5% lower, Al-hawamidiyah 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.47 E£177

242.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$15.94 E£814

169.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.65 E£238

129.03%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.51 E£77.2

128.48%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.29 E£14.60

417.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.12 E£6.33

691.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.16 E£59.5

161.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.94 E£150

56.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.79 E£40.39

74.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.73 E£37.15

153.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.71 E£36.33

126.76%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.39 E£71.1

86.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$3.84 E£196

115.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.42 E£226

89.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.76 E£498

9.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.41 E£72.0

86.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.55 E£27.96

170.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.39 E£20.08

392.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.39 E£19.99

435.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.41 E£20.72

353.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.43 E£22.19

425.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.22 E£11.18

381.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.22 E£11.06

395.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.99 E£102

108.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.61 E£286

85.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.42 E£72.6

21.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.62 E£134

-0.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.19 E£9.84

184.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.56 E£28.49

458.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.45 E£23.03

457.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.00 E£102

57.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.30 E£15.56

323.33%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$35.0K E£1.8M

-13.22%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$33.3K E£1.7M

-29.15%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$11.19 E£572

641.73%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$5.54 E£283

309.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$10.19 E£520

189.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$22.64 E£1,156

125.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$2.91 E£149

69.42%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$90.0 E£4,594

119.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$1,829 E£93.4K

188.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$27.02 E£1,380

36.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$49.48 E£2,527

-19.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$109 E£5,570

-26.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$50.8 E£2,596

76.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$191 E£9,747

401.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$99.1 E£5,061

381.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$313 E£16.0K

425.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$178 E£9,081

588.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$846 E£43.2K

363.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$398 E£20.3K

1523.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Al-hawamidiyah: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $191 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in Al-hawamidiyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $129 – 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $702 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 $43.00 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 93% 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 $468, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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 $468 versus $1,271 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.