Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al Majma'ah Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al Majma'ah

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,232 in Al Majma'ah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,961 in Al Majma'ah, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,690 in Al Majma'ah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 3% more than Al Majma'ah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Al Majma'ah are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Al Majma'ah 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$7.89 SAR 29.64

47.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$64.7 SAR 243

-27.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$8.89 SAR 33.39

33.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 SAR 7.15

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 SAR 11.30

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$4.41 SAR 16.55

-9.75%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.95 SAR 3.58

50.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.31 SAR 1.18

164.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.66 SAR 6.24

1.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.33 SAR 4.98

65.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$2.38 SAR 8.94

-28.15%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$3.24 SAR 12.18

-15.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$9.63 SAR 36.16

-0.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$9.56 SAR 35.91

-5.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$15.60 SAR 58.6

-17.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$2.72 SAR 10.22

6.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.94 SAR 7.27

-22.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$2.38 SAR 8.96

-9.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.75 SAR 6.56

29.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.19 SAR 4.46

66.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.35 SAR 5.07

47.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$1.71 SAR 6.44

-28.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.56 SAR 2.10

114.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.75 SAR 10.34

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.85

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 SAR 9.20

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$7.43 SAR 27.91

-38.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$1.05 SAR 3.93

-42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$35.52 SAR 133

-18.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$3.15 SAR 11.84

71.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$1.82 SAR 6.84

104.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$13.52 SAR 50.8

-57.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$0.64 SAR 2.40

140.63%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$35.9K SAR 135.0K

-37.26%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$22.7K SAR 85.4K

14.61%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$94.3 SAR 354

-3.09%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$32.85 SAR 123

-23.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$69.0 SAR 259

-54.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$83.9 SAR 315

-19.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$37.05 SAR 139

-21.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$13.26 SAR 49.82

-63.35%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$540 SAR 2,028

-58.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$11.1K SAR 41.6K

-61.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$59.2 SAR 222

-20.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$57.2 SAR 215

-22.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$106 SAR 398

-24.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$108 SAR 407

-14.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$581 SAR 2,182

82.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$351 SAR 1,317

11.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$877 SAR 3,294

145.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$540 SAR 2,027

135.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$2,320 SAR 8,716

72.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,378 SAR 5,176

371.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.54

106.68%

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 Majma'ah: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $581 in Al Majma'ah. 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 $65.0 in Al Majma'ah. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Playa del Carmen vs $239 in Al Majma'ah – so Al Majma'ah 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 Majma'ah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 3% more than Al Majma'ah, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,848 in Al Majma'ah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $540 in Al Majma'ah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% 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 Majma'ah, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Al Majma'ah 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 Majma'ah costs $1,232 versus $1,266 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 Majma'ah. 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.