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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $514 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $800 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,085 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 150% 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 4% lower, Al-qardahah 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$5.87 SYP 660

103.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$27.06 SYP 3,043

57.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$5.38 SYP 605

96.84%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$1.56 SYP 175

132.05%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.17 SYP 132

25.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.73 SYP 81.8

28.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$1.57 SYP 176

96.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$2.55 SYP 287

74.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$0.96 SYP 108

48.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.59 SYP 65.9

218.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.69 SYP 190

-3.55%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$1.94 SYP 218

36.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$3.10 SYP 348

164.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$7.84 SYP 882

5.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$11.25 SYP 1,266

-1.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$0.92 SYP 103

188.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.80 SYP 202

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.03 SYP 116

93.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$0.88 SYP 99.2

136.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$0.66 SYP 73.7

171.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$0.62 SYP 70.1

251.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.38 SYP 42.33

184.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.63 SYP 70.5

65.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$3.04 SYP 341

30.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$8.05 SYP 905

26.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.01 SYP 114

71.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$1.82 SYP 205

37.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$0.98 SYP 110

220.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$1.22 SYP 137

96.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$6.51 SYP 732

-52.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$3.68 SYP 414

-65.49%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$18.7K SYP 2.1M

65.17%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$20.7K SYP 2.3M

12.78%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$100 SYP 11.3K

-18.25%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$8.32 SYP 936

169.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$55.7 SYP 6,264

-46.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$2.95 SYP 332

68.47%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$43.49 SYP 4,893

354.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$1,834 SYP 206.3K

187.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$29.38 SYP 3,305

23.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$25.82 SYP 2,904

55.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$44.10 SYP 4,961

81.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$55.9 SYP 6,284

59.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Al-qardahah: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $27.00 in Al-qardahah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $173 – 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 150%, 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $771 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 $27.00 in Al-qardahah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% 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 $514, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.