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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $440 in Al Kharijah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $710 in Al Kharijah, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $980 in Al Kharijah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 188% more than Al Kharijah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Al Kharijah are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Al Kharijah 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.57 E£186

224.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$13.65 E£712

245.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$4.13 E£215

187.65%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.35 E£70.6

194.81%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.34 E£17.99

320.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.12 E£6.31

583.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.46 E£75.9

118.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.55 E£133

166.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$0.77 E£39.91

118.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.66 E£34.65

233.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$0.55 E£28.68

210.91%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.11 E£57.9

146.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$3.04 E£159

215.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.51 E£235

99.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.38 E£385

73.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.63 E£85.0

77.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.73 E£38.10

105.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$0.42 E£21.69

411.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$0.33 E£17.45

584.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.36 E£18.56

450.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.35 E£18.18

468.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.23 E£12.16

434.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.20 E£10.23

500.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$1.93 E£101

135.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$5.54 E£289

87.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.09 E£56.8

48.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.22 E£116

29.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.19 E£9.82

215.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.38 E£19.72

1318.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.23 E£11.89

1521.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$1.76 E£91.8

227.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.41 E£21.47

275.61%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$29.3K E£1.5M

-23.03%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$29.3K E£1.5M

-11.19%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$15.74 E£821

480.56%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$7.12 E£371

253.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$14.78 E£771

111.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$15.96 E£832

321.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$2.58 E£134

88.37%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$86.0 E£4,485

160.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$1,743 E£90.9K

142.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$19.65 E£1,025

139.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$46.83 E£2,442

-5.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$131 E£6,827

-38.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$44.89 E£2,341

106.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$113 E£5,884

841.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$72.1 E£3,760

441.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$290 E£15.1K

642.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$152 E£7,917

738.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$770 E£40.2K

419.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$372 E£19.4K

1646.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

16.21

-29.36%

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 Kharijah: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $113 in Al Kharijah. 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 $14.00 in Al Kharijah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $117 – making Al Kharijah 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 Kharijah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 188%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $660 in Al Kharijah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al Kharijah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $440 in Al Kharijah. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $86.0 in Al Kharijah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Al Kharijah, where all-in costs run around $440, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Al Kharijah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Al Kharijah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Kharijah. 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.