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 $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $999 in Al Jubayhah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,615 in Al Jubayhah, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,230 in Al Jubayhah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 29% 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 6% lower, Al Jubayhah 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$7.03 JOD 4.98

66.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$66.7 JOD 47.21

-30.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$7.17 JOD 5.07

62.48%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$4.28 JOD 3.03

-4.44%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.47 JOD 0.34

191.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.51 JOD 0.36

62.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$6.48 JOD 4.59

-48.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$7.17 JOD 5.08

-3.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$1.52 JOD 1.08

13.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$0.70 JOD 0.50

222.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$1.59 JOD 1.13

11.32%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$2.48 JOD 1.76

10.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$9.19 JOD 6.50

-0.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$4.31 JOD 3.05

106.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$12.62 JOD 8.94

-0.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$2.46 JOD 1.74

22.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$2.01 JOD 1.42

-21.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$1.83 JOD 1.29

16.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$0.80 JOD 0.56

182.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$0.93 JOD 0.66

115.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$0.89 JOD 0.63

131.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.62 JOD 0.44

90.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.66 JOD 0.47

81.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$3.76 JOD 2.66

23.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$21.46 JOD 15.19

-50.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$5.02 JOD 3.56

-67.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$5.00 JOD 3.54

-42.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$0.63 JOD 0.45

765.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$1.40 JOD 0.99

164.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$6.87 JOD 4.86

-12.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.67 JOD 1.19

-7.19%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$35.8K JOD 25.4K

-37.71%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$34.9K JOD 24.7K

-25.57%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$130 JOD 92.2

-31.59%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$15.52 JOD 10.98

61.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$31.50 JOD 22.30

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$11.31 JOD 8.01

-55.35%

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

$225 MX$3,802

$486 JOD 344

-53.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$9,318 JOD 6,596

-54.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$63.9 JOD 45.20

-25.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$81.5 JOD 57.7

-44.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$125 JOD 88.5

-34.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$86.3 JOD 61.1

6.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$284 JOD 201

276.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

$214 JOD 152

89.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$392 JOD 278

393.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$348 JOD 246

274.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.81

68.14%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Al Jubayhah: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $284 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $67.0 in Al Jubayhah. Groceries tell a different story – $277 in Playa del Carmen vs $254 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 29% 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 $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,499 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $67.0 in Al Jubayhah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% 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 $999, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. 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 $999 versus $1,293 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.