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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $531 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $817 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,104 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 137% 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 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$6.05 SYP 736

93.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$726

$28.02 SYP 3,404

49.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.64 SYP 686

86.35%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.1

$1.53 SYP 187

134.64%

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

$1.51 MX$26.13

$1.14 SYP 138

32.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.86

$0.67 SYP 81.6

37.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.57 SYP 191

88.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.4

$2.55 SYP 310

72.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.19

$0.95 SYP 116

47.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.65

$0.59 SYP 72.0

218.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.01

$1.68 SYP 205

-7.14%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.20

$1.91 SYP 233

36.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$3.02 SYP 367

175.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$7.52 SYP 914

11.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$11.14 SYP 1,354

-2.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.00

$0.88 SYP 106

207.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.08

$1.76 SYP 213

-14.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.46

$0.98 SYP 119

90.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.94

$0.96 SYP 117

128.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.18

$0.66 SYP 80.4

181.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.64

$0.66 SYP 79.7

237.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.51

$0.37 SYP 45.24

189.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.82

$0.61 SYP 74.2

78.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.5

$3.03 SYP 369

38.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$181

$7.98 SYP 969

30.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.72

$0.98 SYP 119

69.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.26

$1.76 SYP 214

48.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.39

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.01 SYP 123

204.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.66

$1.28 SYP 155

87.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.2

$6.51 SYP 791

-51.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$3.61 SYP 438

-63.71%

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

$29.8K MX$516.4K

$18.6K SYP 2.3M

60.61%

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

$23.3K MX$404.1K

$21.3K SYP 2.6M

9.47%

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

$81.3 MX$1,408

$102 SYP 12.4K

-20.20%

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

$22.56 MX$391

$8.17 SYP 993

176.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$521

$55.8 SYP 6,781

-46.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$917

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.2

$3.06 SYP 372

60.78%

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

$201 MX$3,479

$43.58 SYP 5,296

360.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.7K

$1,795 SYP 218.1K

188.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$29.53 SYP 3,589

21.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$695

$25.53 SYP 3,103

57.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,381

$45.17 SYP 5,489

76.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,498

$56.0 SYP 6,803

54.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,152

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Al-qardahah: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $28.00 in Al-qardahah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $170 – 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 137%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $796 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 $42.00 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 $531, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.