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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $829 in Al Mukalla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,663 in Al Mukalla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,498 in Al Mukalla.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 56% more expensive than in Al Mukalla, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Al Mukalla 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$16.67 YER 3,946

-29.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$85.8 YER 20.3K

-45.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$8.53 YER 2,020

-52.05%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.82 YER 195

1.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$10.65 YER 2,521

-74.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$14.47 YER 3,426

-36.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$26.13 YER 6,184

-65.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$60.1 YER 14.2K

-79.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$14.94 YER 3,538

-79.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$6.17 YER 1,461

-74.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$5.09 YER 1,205

-58.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$3.39 YER 802

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$7.55 YER 1,787

-73.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$4.17 YER 987

-50.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$2.49 YER 590

-51.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

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

$25.04 MX$423

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

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

$225 MX$3,803

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

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: August 29, 2026

Last update for Al Mukalla: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $86.0 in Al Mukalla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $607 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Mukalla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Mukalla is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,940 in Playa del Carmen and $1,243 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 119% 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 $86.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $829 in Al Mukalla versus $1,293 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 56% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.