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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $776 in Al Mahwit, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,336 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,204 in Al Mahwit, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,341 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,631 in Al Mahwit, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 71% more than Al Mahwit, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Al Mahwit are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Al Mahwit 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$6.24 YER 1,478

108.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$25.11 YER 5,946

84.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$9.32 YER 2,207

35.09%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 YER 485

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 YER 583

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$3.75 YER 888

6.67%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$1.16 YER 274

22.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.62 YER 147

30.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.98 YER 468

-13.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$1.62 YER 383

37.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$2.00 YER 475

-14.00%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$3.55 YER 842

-23.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$17.01 YER 4,028

-44.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$8.07 YER 1,911

9.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$18.38 YER 4,353

-30.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$3.27 YER 774

-4.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$1.03 YER 245

50.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$2.22 YER 525

-3.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$1.56 YER 370

50.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$1.53 YER 361

32.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$1.31 YER 311

51.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$1.27 YER 300

-2.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.64 YER 151

85.94%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.45 YER 818

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 YER 437

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 YER 783

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$5.42 YER 1,283

-14.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$4.17 YER 987

27.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$2.15 YER 509

73.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$7.43 YER 1,759

-22.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$2.04 YER 484

-24.02%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$16.7K YER 4.0M

33.79%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$34.4K YER 8.1M

-25.68%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$106 YER 25.2K

-16.11%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$23.87 YER 5,654

-2.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$102 YER 24.0K

-68.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$5.75 YER 1,362

-12.00%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$115 YER 27.2K

93.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$2,168 YER 513.5K

97.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$41.80 YER 9,900

10.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$124 YER 29.3K

-64.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$47.73 YER 11.3K

100.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$41.00 YER 9,708

125.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

11.25

3.11%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Al Mahwit: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $25.00 in Al Mahwit. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $264 – making Al Mahwit 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 Mahwit: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 71%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,995 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,165 in Al Mahwit. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,330 in Playa del Carmen and $776 in Al Mahwit. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $222 per month in Playa del Carmen and $115 in Al Mahwit. 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 Mahwit, where all-in costs run around $776, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,330. In Al Mahwit 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 Mahwit – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Al Mahwit. 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.