Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al-'udayliyah Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al-'udayliyah

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,270 in Al-'udayliyah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,179 in Al-'udayliyah, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,088 in Al-'udayliyah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen and Al-'udayliyah have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$7.74 KWD 2.38

49.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$56.1 KWD 17.23

-15.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$7.85 KWD 2.41

51.34%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 KWD 1.11

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 KWD 1.14

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$4.62 KWD 1.42

-13.85%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$0.55 KWD 0.17

160.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.33 KWD 0.10

148.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.11 KWD 0.34

51.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.76 KWD 0.23

189.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$2.10 KWD 0.65

-18.57%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.10 KWD 0.65

30.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$4.39 KWD 1.35

118.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.01 KWD 1.54

79.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$9.77 KWD 3.00

31.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.15 KWD 0.66

34.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.73 KWD 0.53

-13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.12 KWD 0.34

91.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$1.36 KWD 0.42

66.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$1.46 KWD 0.45

35.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.89 KWD 0.27

123.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.67 KWD 0.51

-26.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.49 KWD 0.15

144.90%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.20 KWD 0.98

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$3.13 KWD 0.96

45.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.86 KWD 0.27

-30.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$2.89 KWD 0.89

86.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$3.32 KWD 1.02

12.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$13.92 KWD 4.28

-58.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$0.31 KWD 0.09

396.77%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$18.1K KWD 5,561

24.60%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$22.3K KWD 6,846

16.96%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$70.1 KWD 21.54

30.38%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$22.18 KWD 6.82

13.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$31.77 KWD 9.76

-1.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$90.9 KWD 27.92

-26.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$12.56 KWD 3.86

-61.31%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$289 KWD 88.9

-22.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$7,207 KWD 2,215

-41.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$41.67 KWD 12.81

13.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$36.76 KWD 11.30

20.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$108 KWD 33.23

-25.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$85.7 KWD 26.34

8.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$713 KWD 219

48.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$565 KWD 174

-30.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$1,537 KWD 472

39.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$1,198 KWD 368

6.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$12.1K KWD 3,716

-66.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$2,926 KWD 899

122.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$5,324 KWD 1,636

-85.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.53

75.34%

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-'udayliyah: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $713 in Al-'udayliyah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 602% higher in Al-'udayliyah. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $56.0 in Al-'udayliyah. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Playa del Carmen vs $154 in Al-'udayliyah – so Al-'udayliyah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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-'udayliyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,904 in Al-'udayliyah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 79% cheaper in Al-'udayliyah – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $56.0 in Al-'udayliyah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Al-'udayliyah at $1,270. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Al-'udayliyah it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,266 versus $1,270 in Al-'udayliyah. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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