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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,197 in Al Muharraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,735 in Al Muharraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,273 in Al Muharraq.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 5% more expensive than in Al Muharraq, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Al Muharraq 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$4.04 BHD 1.52

190.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$26.36 BHD 9.94

58.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.28 BHD 1.99

99.05%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$4.08 BHD 1.54

-12.01%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.86 BHD 0.32

75.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.39 BHD 0.15

135.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$5.34 BHD 2.01

-44.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$7.92 BHD 2.99

-44.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.30 BHD 0.49

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.55 BHD 0.21

241.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.30 BHD 0.87

-32.17%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.35 BHD 0.89

11.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$4.62 BHD 1.74

80.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.07 BHD 1.91

64.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.92 BHD 2.99

37.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.17 BHD 0.44

131.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.68 BHD 0.63

-10.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.10 BHD 0.41

70.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.20 BHD 0.45

82.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.78 BHD 0.29

138.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.53 BHD 0.20

320.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.22 BHD 0.46

-12.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.55 BHD 0.21

98.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$5.43 BHD 2.05

-22.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$18.79 BHD 7.08

-44.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$3.35 BHD 1.26

-50.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$3.30 BHD 1.24

-20.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.82 BHD 0.31

-34.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$4.51 BHD 1.70

-31.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.71 BHD 1.02

-11.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$5.20 BHD 1.96

-39.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.46 BHD 0.17

184.78%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$37.3K BHD 14.1K

-20.18%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$15.8K BHD 5,947

47.81%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$107 BHD 40.41

-24.20%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$21.12 BHD 7.96

6.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$38.14 BHD 14.37

-21.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$53.5 BHD 20.17

-1.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$7.12 BHD 2.68

-30.90%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$386 BHD 145

-47.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$5,901 BHD 2,224

-12.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$26.07 BHD 9.83

37.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$64.0 BHD 24.13

-37.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$84.3 BHD 31.78

-5.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$88.4 BHD 33.33

-2.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$627 BHD 236

56.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$503 BHD 190

-6.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$954 BHD 360

73.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$780 BHD 294

54.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,986 BHD 749

99.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,603 BHD 604

312.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$1,542 BHD 581

-56.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

8.56

33.41%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Al Muharraq: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $627 in Al Muharraq. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Muharraq pays 128% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $26.00 in Al Muharraq for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $202 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 5% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $1,197 including rent). Al Muharraq is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 128% 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $627 in Al Muharraq. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,197 in Al Muharraq – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,197 in Al Muharraq versus $1,260 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 5% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.