Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al Mafraq

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Mafraq: $834 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Al Mafraq, Jordan
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Al Mafraq
🇯🇴 Jordan
$834
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Al Mafraq

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Al Mafraq actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $834 in Al Mafraq, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Al Mafraq $834

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,376 in Al Mafraq, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Al Mafraq $1,376

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,919 in Al Mafraq, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Al Mafraq $1,919

Playa del Carmen costs about 44% more than Al Mafraq, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Playa del Carmen and Al Mafraq are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Al Mafraq 39% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Al Mafraq
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$7.03 JOD 4.98
55.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$813
$71.5 JOD 50.6
-39.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$6.93 JOD 4.91
69.99%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.4
$4.37 JOD 3.09
-12.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.03
$0.65 JOD 0.46
96.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.67
$0.55 JOD 0.39
41.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.3
$8.65 JOD 6.12
-63.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.5
$10.83 JOD 7.67
-54.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Al Mafraq
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.35
$1.43 JOD 1.02
-1.40%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.54
$0.66 JOD 0.47
236.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.56
$1.55 JOD 1.10
-8.39%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.27
$2.30 JOD 1.63
9.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$136
$8.94 JOD 6.33
-18.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$144
$6.28 JOD 4.44
22.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$238
$12.72 JOD 9.00
-0.24%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.2
$2.57 JOD 1.82
8.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.64
$2.04 JOD 1.44
-32.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.80
$1.75 JOD 1.24
45.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.78
$0.76 JOD 0.54
178.95%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.32
$0.88 JOD 0.62
120.45%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.34
$0.81 JOD 0.57
133.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.49
$0.64 JOD 0.45
79.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.09
$0.67 JOD 0.47
76.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.5
$3.90 JOD 2.76
10.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$186
$21.51 JOD 15.23
-53.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.67
$4.93 JOD 3.49
-67.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.1
$5.07 JOD 3.59
-47.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Al Mafraq
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.37
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$499
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.1
$0.64 JOD 0.45
676.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.4
$1.37 JOD 0.97
143.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$100
$6.90 JOD 4.88
-22.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.06
$1.76 JOD 1.24
-18.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$387.3K
$32.5K JOD 23.0K
-36.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$439.7K
$33.6K JOD 23.8K
-30.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Al Mafraq
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,589
$138 JOD 98.0
-38.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$439
$15.44 JOD 10.93
51.62%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$537
$32.99 JOD 23.36
-13.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Al Mafraq
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,069
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$542
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.3
$11.36 JOD 8.04
-54.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Al Mafraq
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,871
$556 JOD 394
-62.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.6K
$9,418 JOD 6,668
-58.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Al Mafraq
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$812
$61.8 JOD 43.78
-29.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$777
$79.2 JOD 56.1
-47.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,390
$124 JOD 88.0
-40.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,672
$81.7 JOD 57.8
9.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Al Mafraq
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,136
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.1K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.4K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Al Mafraq
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
$1,070 JOD 758
-31.36%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
6.94
64.99%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Al Mafraq: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Al Mafraq
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Al Mafraq
$261 2.5% $6.5
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Al Mafraq
$199 1.6% $3.2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Al Mafraq
$187 36.5% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Al Mafraq
$156 39.8% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Al Mafraq
$23 * 66.3% $45
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Al Mafraq
$7.5 * 85.1% $43

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 46% higher in Al Mafraq, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $71 in Al Mafraq. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $261 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇯🇴 Al Mafraq
🕒 Local time
11:50 11:50 AM
19:50 7:50 PM
8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
60,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JOD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Jordanian Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.708 JOD (1 JOD = 1.41 USD). 1 EUR = 0.79 JOD (1 JOD = 1.27 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Al Mafraq 11,590 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Al Mafraq

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Mafraq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Al Mafraq cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,250 in Al Mafraq. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in Playa del Carmen or in Al Mafraq?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $71 in Al Mafraq. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $556 in Al Mafraq. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Al Mafraq?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Al Mafraq, where all-in costs run around $834, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Al Mafraq it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Al Mafraq?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $834 in Al Mafraq to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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