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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $631 in Al-Qusayr.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,005 in Al-Qusayr.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,378 in Al-Qusayr.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 107% more expensive than in Al-Qusayr, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Al-Qusayr 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$9.96 SYP 1,210

20.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$45.13 SYP 5,484

4.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$7.20 SYP 875

63.19%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$3.77 SYP 459

9.28%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$2.26 SYP 275

-38.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.84 SYP 102

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.92 SYP 233

67.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.96 SYP 360

138.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.05 SYP 128

60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.42 SYP 50.7

411.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.58 SYP 192

12.03%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.61 SYP 195

75.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$3.83 SYP 466

140.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$5.87 SYP 713

57.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$13.59 SYP 1,652

-6.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.03 SYP 126

186.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.37 SYP 167

15.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.14 SYP 138

94.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.01 SYP 123

133.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.81 SYP 98.2

145.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.80 SYP 97.6

147.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.41 SYP 49.26

202.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.66 SYP 80.1

83.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$2.80 SYP 340

64.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$5.91 SYP 718

78.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.07 SYP 130

57.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.98 SYP 362

-7.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.02 SYP 124

413.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.48 SYP 180

146.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$7.90 SYP 960

-26.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$3.64 SYP 443

-57.69%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$15.1K SYP 1.8M

50.68%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$19.3K SYP 2.3M

34.08%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$140 SYP 17.0K

-35.29%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$9.72 SYP 1,181

159.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$46.01 SYP 5,591

-30.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$5.34 SYP 649

-8.99%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$65.4 SYP 7,945

245.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$1,769 SYP 215.0K

137.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$28.39 SYP 3,450

66.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$40.28 SYP 4,895

7.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$60.0 SYP 7,286

33.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$58.0 SYP 7,042

57.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 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 7, 2026

Last update for Al-Qusayr: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $45.00 in Al-Qusayr for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $169 per month, with Al-Qusayr 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-Qusayr: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-Qusayr is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $946 in Al-Qusayr 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $631 in Al-Qusayr – a 107% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $631 in Al-Qusayr versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-Qusayr but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Al-Qusayr the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al-Qusayr 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-Qusayr gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.