Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al Mukalla

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Mukalla: $842 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Playa del Carmen outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Al Mukalla

🇾🇪 Yemen

$842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Al Mukalla

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Al Mukalla actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $842 in Al Mukalla.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Al Mukalla $842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,654 in Al Mukalla.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Al Mukalla $1,654

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,466 in Al Mukalla.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Al Mukalla $2,466

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 43% more expensive than in Al Mukalla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Al Mukalla 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$16.88 YER 3,983

-35.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$84.8 YER 20.0K

-47.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$8.45 YER 1,992

-56.45%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.89 YER 210

-7.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$10.58 YER 2,496

-76.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$15.08 YER 3,557

-50.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$25.73 YER 6,070

-69.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$58.5 YER 13.8K

-78.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$14.61 YER 3,446

-80.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$6.37 YER 1,503

-77.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$4.94 YER 1,165

-46.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$3.29 YER 776

-34.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$7.71 YER 1,818

-73.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$4.15 YER 978

-52.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$2.58 YER 609

-53.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

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

$23.46 MX$434

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

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

$201 MX$3,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Al Mukalla: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Al Mukalla

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Al Mukalla

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Al Mukalla

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Al Mukalla

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Al Mukalla

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Al Mukalla

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Al Mukalla

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $44.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $85.0 in Al Mukalla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $602 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇾🇪 Al Mukalla

🕒 Local time

06:40 6:40 AM

14:40 2:40 PM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

176,942

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

YER, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Yemeni Rial exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 236 YER (1,000 YER = 4.24 USD). 1 EUR = 265 YER (1,000 YER = 3.77 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Playa del Carmen Al Mukalla 13,840 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Al Mukalla

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Mukalla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Mukalla is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and utilities. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $1,262 in Al Mukalla to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 133% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Al Mukalla – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $842 in Al Mukalla versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al Mukalla but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Al Mukalla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al Mukalla is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Al Mukalla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.