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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $467 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $749 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,031 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 171% more than Al-hawamidiyah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Al-hawamidiyah are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Al-hawamidiyah 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.31 E£224

169.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$16.23 E£845

190.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$4.78 E£249

148.54%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$1.29 E£67.1

208.53%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.31 E£15.98

361.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.10 E£5.39

720.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.38 E£71.7

131.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.91 E£152

133.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$0.90 E£46.72

86.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$0.76 E£39.36

189.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$0.66 E£34.34

159.09%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.21 E£63.2

126.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$3.68 E£192

160.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.31 E£225

109.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$9.41 E£490

36.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$1.59 E£82.6

81.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$0.72 E£37.29

108.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$0.53 E£27.70

305.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$0.37 E£19.29

510.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$0.27 E£14.20

633.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$0.31 E£16.11

541.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.29 E£15.26

324.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.19 E£10.08

531.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$1.94 E£101

134.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$5.84 E£304

77.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.28 E£66.6

26.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$2.65 E£138

8.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.21 E£10.94

185.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.60 E£31.24

798.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.45 E£23.27

728.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$1.95 E£102

195.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$0.43 E£22.48

258.14%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$32.5K E£1.7M

-30.70%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$27.6K E£1.4M

-5.76%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$14.09 E£734

548.55%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$7.10 E£370

254.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$13.59 E£708

129.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$17.68 E£921

280.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$2.86 E£149

69.93%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$81.9 E£4,263

173.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$2,134 E£111.2K

98.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$32.49 E£1,692

44.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$43.46 E£2,263

1.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$122 E£6,357

-34.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$53.9 E£2,809

71.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$140 E£7,290

659.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$74.7 E£3,888

422.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$221 E£11.5K

870.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$158 E£8,227

705.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$821 E£42.7K

387.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$402 E£20.9K

1519.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

21.33

-46.32%

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-hawamidiyah: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $140 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in Al-hawamidiyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 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 Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $700 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 $47.00 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 113% 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 $467, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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 $467 versus $1,266 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.