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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $640 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,016 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,393 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 98% more than Al-qardahah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Al-qardahah are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Al-qardahah 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$9.83 SYP 1,194

18.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$44.94 SYP 5,460

4.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.86 SYP 833

73.18%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$3.79 SYP 460

5.01%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$2.29 SYP 278

-37.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.87 SYP 106

-5.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.92 SYP 233

66.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.06 SYP 372

121.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.09 SYP 133

54.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$0.42 SYP 51.0

423.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.64 SYP 200

4.27%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.57 SYP 191

74.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$3.87 SYP 471

147.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.69 SYP 691

58.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$13.55 SYP 1,647

-5.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$1.02 SYP 124

183.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.41 SYP 172

6.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.09 SYP 132

97.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.03 SYP 125

119.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$0.75 SYP 91.6

164.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$0.79 SYP 96.2

151.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.40 SYP 48.87

207.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.61 SYP 74.2

96.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.82 SYP 343

61.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$6.07 SYP 737

70.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.10 SYP 134

47.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$2.91 SYP 354

-1.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$1.02 SYP 124

428.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$1.54 SYP 187

142.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$7.84 SYP 953

-26.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$3.67 SYP 446

-58.04%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$14.8K SYP 1.8M

52.36%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$19.0K SYP 2.3M

36.89%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$137 SYP 16.7K

-33.41%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$9.45 SYP 1,148

166.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$45.65 SYP 5,547

-31.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$5.40 SYP 656

-10.00%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$66.7 SYP 8,108

235.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$1,806 SYP 219.5K

134.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$28.38 SYP 3,449

65.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$40.11 SYP 4,873

10.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$60.0 SYP 7,288

33.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$57.9 SYP 7,032

60.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

14.25

-19.65%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Al-qardahah: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $45.00 in Al-qardahah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $168 – 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 98%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $960 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $45.00 in Al-qardahah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 64% 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 $640, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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.