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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,215 in Al Muharraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,732 in Al Muharraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,250 in Al Muharraq.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 5% more expensive than 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

$11.87 MX$204

$4.03 BHD 1.52

194.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$26.37 BHD 9.94

62.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.40 BHD 2.04

97.22%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$4.09 BHD 1.54

-15.65%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.79 BHD 0.30

89.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.40 BHD 0.15

137.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$5.17 BHD 1.95

-41.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$7.87 BHD 2.96

-41.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.30 BHD 0.49

6.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.52 BHD 0.19

255.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.32 BHD 0.87

-30.60%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.45 BHD 0.92

5.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$4.63 BHD 1.74

78.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.00 BHD 1.88

67.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.16 BHD 3.07

30.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.17 BHD 0.44

124.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.60 BHD 0.60

-6.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.06 BHD 0.40

81.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.20 BHD 0.45

74.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.76 BHD 0.29

144.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.53 BHD 0.20

326.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.18 BHD 0.44

-10.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.55 BHD 0.21

98.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$5.41 BHD 2.04

-23.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$18.21 BHD 6.86

-42.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$3.39 BHD 1.28

-49.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.31 BHD 1.25

-21.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.79 BHD 0.30

-31.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$4.77 BHD 1.80

-34.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.73 BHD 1.03

-8.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.26 BHD 1.98

-40.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.46 BHD 0.17

176.09%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$36.8K BHD 13.9K

-17.43%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$16.0K BHD 6,049

46.84%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$105 BHD 39.66

-21.13%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$21.00 BHD 7.91

8.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$38.01 BHD 14.33

-22.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$52.9 BHD 19.92

-3.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$7.25 BHD 2.73

-32.00%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$388 BHD 146

-49.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$6,027 BHD 2,271

-12.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$26.32 BHD 9.92

40.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$63.6 BHD 23.98

-37.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$83.8 BHD 31.57

-4.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$89.8 BHD 33.85

-0.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$618 BHD 233

54.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$510 BHD 192

-6.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$975 BHD 367

68.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$804 BHD 303

52.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,003 BHD 755

95.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,598 BHD 602

304.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$1,561 BHD 588

-57.27%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Al Muharraq: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $618 in Al Muharraq. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Muharraq pays 134% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $26.00 in Al Muharraq for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $201 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 ($1,271 vs $1,215 including rent). Al Muharraq is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Al Muharraq earns 134% less. 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $618 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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,215 in Al Muharraq – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,215 in Al Muharraq versus $1,271 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.