Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al-qardahah Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al-qardahah

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $520 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $814 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,108 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 144% more than Al-qardahah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Al-qardahah are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Al-qardahah 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$6.14 SYP 679

93.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$27.94 SYP 3,088

53.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.42 SYP 599

96.49%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.55 SYP 171

122.58%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.16 SYP 129

29.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.68 SYP 75.3

39.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.61 SYP 178

88.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.47 SYP 273

86.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.95 SYP 105

45.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.64 SYP 70.7

189.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.77 SYP 195

-9.04%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.89 SYP 208

37.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$3.10 SYP 342

166.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.74 SYP 855

8.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$11.22 SYP 1,240

-4.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$0.92 SYP 102

185.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.79 SYP 197

-16.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.03 SYP 114

86.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.90 SYP 100.0

132.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.63 SYP 69.1

195.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.67 SYP 74.2

237.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.38 SYP 41.73

178.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.61 SYP 67.5

78.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.94 SYP 325

41.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$6.09 SYP 673

70.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.01 SYP 112

70.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.77 SYP 195

47.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.02 SYP 113

206.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.27 SYP 141

97.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.39 SYP 706

-50.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$3.59 SYP 397

-64.62%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$18.5K SYP 2.0M

64.04%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$20.9K SYP 2.3M

12.54%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$101 SYP 11.1K

-17.74%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$8.52 SYP 941

166.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$54.7 SYP 6,038

-46.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$2.98 SYP 330

65.44%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$43.91 SYP 4,852

349.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$1,817 SYP 200.8K

190.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$29.32 SYP 3,240

25.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$26.12 SYP 2,887

52.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$44.71 SYP 4,940

78.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$56.5 SYP 6,241

58.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

13.75

-16.95%

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-qardahah: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $28.00 in Al-qardahah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $169 – making Al-qardahah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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-qardahah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 144%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $780 in Al-qardahah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $28.00 in Al-qardahah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Al-qardahah, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Al-qardahah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Al-qardahah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Al-qardahah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.