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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $932 in Al Jubayhah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,457 in Al Jubayhah, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,981 in Al Jubayhah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 39% more than Al Jubayhah, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Playa del Carmen and Al Jubayhah are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Al Jubayhah 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$7.24 JOD 5.12

62.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$48.88 JOD 34.59

-14.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.08 JOD 5.01

50.28%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$4.08 JOD 2.89

-13.73%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.47 JOD 0.33

221.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.38 JOD 0.27

155.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$5.68 JOD 4.02

-48.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$7.19 JOD 5.09

-38.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.42 JOD 1.01

-2.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.54 JOD 0.38

250.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.63 JOD 1.16

0.61%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.45 JOD 1.74

2.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.75 JOD 4.78

23.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.19 JOD 2.96

99.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$11.30 JOD 8.00

-5.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.99 JOD 1.41

30.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.79 JOD 1.26

-18.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.42 JOD 1.00

33.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$0.81 JOD 0.57

156.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.88 JOD 0.62

102.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.74 JOD 0.52

195.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.60 JOD 0.42

73.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.64 JOD 0.45

68.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$3.32 JOD 2.35

22.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$21.31 JOD 15.08

-51.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$4.73 JOD 3.35

-63.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$5.32 JOD 3.77

-51.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.73 JOD 0.52

-30.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.72 JOD 0.51

352.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.43 JOD 1.01

74.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$6.98 JOD 4.94

-53.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.44 JOD 1.02

-9.03%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$27.4K JOD 19.4K

10.53%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$32.2K JOD 22.8K

-27.34%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$105 JOD 74.4

-21.21%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$16.78 JOD 11.87

32.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$31.29 JOD 22.14

-6.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$11.19 JOD 7.92

-54.69%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$270 JOD 191

-25.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$5,317 JOD 3,763

-1.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$61.4 JOD 43.44

-39.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$55.8 JOD 39.50

-28.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$116 JOD 82.0

-32.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$80.7 JOD 57.1

7.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$278 JOD 197

249.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$214 JOD 151

118.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$401 JOD 284

309.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$353 JOD 249

246.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

7.27

57.08%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Al Jubayhah: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $278 in Al Jubayhah. 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $49.00 in Al Jubayhah. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $233 in Al Jubayhah – so Al Jubayhah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Jubayhah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 39% more than Al Jubayhah, with the gap driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,398 in Al Jubayhah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al Jubayhah, 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 $49.00 in Al Jubayhah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% 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 Jubayhah, where all-in costs run around $932, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Al Jubayhah 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 Jubayhah costs $932 versus $1,297 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 Jubayhah. 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.