Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Amwaj

For one person, living is cheaper in Amwaj: $609 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Amwaj

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Amwaj

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Amwaj actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $609 in Amwaj, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Amwaj $609

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,459 in Amwaj, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Amwaj $2,459

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,309 in Amwaj, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Amwaj $4,309

Playa del Carmen costs about 98% more than Amwaj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Amwaj are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Amwaj 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$10.70 BHD 4.04

1.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$32.30 BHD 12.19

36.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$9.71 BHD 3.67

21.11%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$4.02 BHD 1.52

-8.46%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$2.18 BHD 0.82

-38.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.64 BHD 0.24

28.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$7.76 BHD 2.93

-60.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$10.73 BHD 4.05

-53.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$5.17 BHD 1.95

-17.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$0.66 BHD 0.25

119.70%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$36.9K BHD 13.9K

-37.59%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$130 BHD 49.23

-34.56%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$23.57 BHD 8.89

-0.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$65.9 BHD 24.88

-56.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

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

$201 MX$3,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$13.4K BHD 5,063

-70.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$64.9 BHD 24.51

-31.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$65.4 BHD 24.67

-36.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$94.0 BHD 35.47

-22.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$120 BHD 45.11

-25.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$2,393 BHD 903

-29.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$3,100 BHD 1,170

-64.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$3,991 BHD 1,506

-81.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

63.57%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Amwaj: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Amwaj

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Amwaj

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Amwaj

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Amwaj

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Amwaj

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Amwaj

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Amwaj

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 441% higher in Amwaj, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $32.00 in Amwaj. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇭 Amwaj

🕒 Local time

12:03 12:03 PM

20:03 8:03 PM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.424 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Amwaj 13,090 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Amwaj

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Amwaj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 98% more than Amwaj, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $914 in Amwaj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $609 in Amwaj. That's a gap of about 98%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen and $32.00 in Amwaj. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Amwaj, where all-in costs run around $609, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Amwaj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Amwaj costs $609 versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Amwaj. 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.