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 $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $456 in Al Kharijah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,130 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $728 in Al Kharijah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,999 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,000 in Al Kharijah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 177% 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 6% lower, Al Kharijah 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$203

$3.59 E£189

225.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$728

$15.69 E£825

166.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$181

$4.66 E£245

123.18%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.9

$1.45 E£76.5

148.97%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.31 E£16.34

374.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.86

$0.10 E£5.27

810.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$1.21 E£63.7

150.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.7

$2.97 E£156

50.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.91

$0.90 E£47.09

53.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.04

$0.58 E£30.38

217.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.91

$0.65 E£34.00

147.69%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.67

$1.39 E£72.9

84.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$3.27 E£172

159.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$4.37 E£230

94.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$191

$8.62 E£454

27.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.42

$1.47 E£77.5

85.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.01

$0.54 E£28.67

177.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.05

$0.43 E£22.58

355.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.83

$0.40 E£20.91

430.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.41

$0.37 E£19.53

402.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.80

$0.44 E£23.20

393.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.65

$0.24 E£12.66

345.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.24

$0.22 E£11.35

377.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.9

$2.01 E£106

108.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$179

$5.45 E£287

88.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.97

$1.32 E£69.3

26.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.27

$1.88 E£99.1

32.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.41

$0.21 E£10.84

157.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$54.0

$0.41 E£21.57

656.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.81

$0.31 E£16.37

693.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.3

$2.03 E£107

59.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.91

$0.31 E£16.07

306.45%

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

$30.2K MX$524.6K

$36.2K E£1.9M

-16.58%

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

$23.4K MX$407.7K

$33.7K E£1.8M

-30.43%

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

$84.0 MX$1,461

$12.07 E£635

595.86%

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

$22.21 MX$386

$6.31 E£332

251.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$516

$10.52 E£554

181.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$915

$21.81 E£1,147

141.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$319

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$86.0

$2.92 E£154

69.52%

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

$198 MX$3,449

$88.9 E£4,674

123.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.5K

$1,855 E£97.6K

186.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$625

$27.13 E£1,427

32.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$697

$49.04 E£2,580

-18.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,370

$108 E£5,669

-26.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,504

$49.82 E£2,621

73.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$17.0K

$188 E£9,900

419.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,186

$101 E£5,322

365.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.7K

$309 E£16.2K

417.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$181 E£9,515

571.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$70.1K

$792 E£41.7K

409.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.4K

$431 E£22.7K

1427.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

16.67

-31.49%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Al Kharijah: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $188 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 $42 in Playa del Carmen versus $16 in Al Kharijah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $122 – 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 177%, 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 $1,891 per month in Playa del Carmen and $684 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 $1,261 in Playa del Carmen and $456 in Al Kharijah. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $88.9 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 $456, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,261. 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.