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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,103 in Al Muharraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,642 in Al Muharraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,181 in Al Muharraq.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 15% more expensive than in Al Muharraq, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Al Muharraq 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$2.61 BHD 0.98

344.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$26.60 BHD 10.02

77.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$6.04 BHD 2.28

96.69%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$3.97 BHD 1.50

0.25%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$0.90 BHD 0.34

58.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.32 BHD 0.12

156.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$6.72 BHD 2.53

-52.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$6.81 BHD 2.57

-0.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.35 BHD 0.51

24.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.11 BHD 0.42

98.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$2.36 BHD 0.89

-27.54%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.21 BHD 0.83

23.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$3.61 BHD 1.36

165.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.75 BHD 1.79

89.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$8.56 BHD 3.23

49.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$1.04 BHD 0.39

177.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.87 BHD 0.71

-19.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.09 BHD 0.41

97.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$1.43 BHD 0.54

58.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$1.06 BHD 0.40

86.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.51 BHD 0.19

290.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.54 BHD 0.21

127.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.51 BHD 0.19

135.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$5.29 BHD 2.00

-13.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$18.79 BHD 7.08

-44.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$3.64 BHD 1.37

-55.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.71 BHD 1.02

6.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$5.45 BHD 2.05

-1.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$1.35 BHD 0.51

176.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$5.20 BHD 1.96

10.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$0.50 BHD 0.19

208.00%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$36.8K BHD 13.9K

-38.75%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$20.5K BHD 7,720

27.22%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$155 BHD 58.3

-40.93%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$21.54 BHD 8.12

16.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$35.72 BHD 13.46

-12.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$10.71 BHD 4.04

-54.62%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$489 BHD 184

-54.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$11.1K BHD 4,196

-62.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$50.4 BHD 18.98

-6.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$58.1 BHD 21.88

-23.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$86.9 BHD 32.75

-7.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$89.4 BHD 33.68

3.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$463 BHD 175

129.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$372 BHD 140

4.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$1,006 BHD 379

113.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$734 BHD 277

73.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$1,967 BHD 741

103.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,565 BHD 590

315.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$1,813 BHD 683

-58.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.21

84.38%

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 Muharraq: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $463 in Al Muharraq. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Muharraq pays 139% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Al Muharraq for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $205 per month, with Al Muharraq cheaper across the board.

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 Muharraq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Al Muharraq differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $1,103 including rent). Al Muharraq is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 139% lower in Al Muharraq. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $463 in Al Muharraq. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,103 in Al Muharraq – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,103 in Al Muharraq versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al Muharraq but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Al Muharraq the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Al Muharraq gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.