Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al Hidd Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al Hidd

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,763 in Al Hidd.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,190 in Al Hidd.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,616 in Al Hidd.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 27% less than in Al Hidd, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 4% below, Al Hidd is 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$6.57 BHD 2.47

81.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$39.43 BHD 14.83

8.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.41 BHD 2.78

42.91%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.68 BHD 1.01

35.07%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.81 BHD 0.31

81.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.14 BHD 0.05

571.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$7.88 BHD 2.96

-60.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$10.55 BHD 3.97

-57.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.72 BHD 0.65

-16.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.28 BHD 0.48

46.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$2.31 BHD 0.87

-29.44%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.42 BHD 0.91

9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$8.54 BHD 3.21

-3.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$7.57 BHD 2.85

9.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$10.37 BHD 3.90

7.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.45 BHD 0.92

8.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.05 BHD 0.77

-26.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.77 BHD 0.66

12.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.21 BHD 0.45

71.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.90 BHD 0.34

98.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.07 BHD 0.40

103.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.46 BHD 0.55

-26.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.94 BHD 0.35

10.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$6.46 BHD 2.43

-38.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$18.73 BHD 7.04

-45.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$3.35 BHD 1.26

-48.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$3.18 BHD 1.19

-21.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$1.58 BHD 0.59

-67.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$52.9 BHD 19.89

-49.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$4.62 BHD 1.74

-32.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$4.01 BHD 1.51

-40.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$26.01 BHD 9.78

-88.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.38 BHD 0.14

234.21%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$20.1K BHD 7,565

53.49%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$20.8K BHD 7,825

12.03%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$122 BHD 45.81

-32.69%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$26.79 BHD 10.07

-16.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$38.28 BHD 14.39

-22.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$53.5 BHD 20.13

-65.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$10.79 BHD 4.06

-53.94%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$386 BHD 145

-48.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$9,104 BHD 3,423

-42.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$46.87 BHD 17.62

-22.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$62.4 BHD 23.46

-35.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$82.1 BHD 30.88

-2.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$88.0 BHD 33.07

1.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$672 BHD 253

43.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$933 BHD 351

-50.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$795 BHD 299

100.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$810 BHD 304

49.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$1,937 BHD 728

-62.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

8.56

33.41%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Al Hidd: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $672 in Al Hidd. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Hidd pays 169% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Al Hidd. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $264, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Hidd: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Al Hidd earns 169% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $672 in Al Hidd. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 96% less than in Al Hidd. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $386 in Al Hidd. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,763 in Al Hidd, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Al Hidd. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Al Hidd, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Al Hidd 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Al Hidd. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.