Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ar-rawdah Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ar-rawdah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,370 in Ar-rawdah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,342 in Ar-rawdah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,314 in Ar-rawdah.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 5% less than in Ar-rawdah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Ar-rawdah is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$10.06 KWD 3.09

16.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$83.0 KWD 25.45

-49.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$8.92 KWD 2.74

19.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 KWD 0.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 KWD 1.13

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$5.91 KWD 1.81

-40.44%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.68 KWD 0.21

122.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.35 KWD 0.11

177.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.56 KWD 0.48

-11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.28 KWD 0.39

47.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.80 KWD 0.55

-8.89%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.08 KWD 0.64

20.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.24 KWD 1.61

59.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.52 KWD 2.00

27.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$10.39 KWD 3.19

3.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.39 KWD 0.73

8.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.91 KWD 0.58

-23.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.74 KWD 0.53

9.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.49 KWD 0.46

39.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.28 KWD 0.39

39.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.33 KWD 0.41

64.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.70 KWD 0.52

-38.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.46 KWD 0.14

134.78%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.17 KWD 0.97

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 KWD 0.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.99 KWD 0.92

36.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.90 KWD 0.27

-43.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$43.42 KWD 13.32

-39.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$3.28 KWD 1.01

-0.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$3.22 KWD 0.99

-22.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$16.51 KWD 5.06

-80.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.34 KWD 0.10

285.29%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$20.8K KWD 6,390

45.34%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$19.7K KWD 6,038

19.02%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$63.2 KWD 19.38

31.16%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$18.75 KWD 5.75

18.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$26.29 KWD 8.06

11.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$95.4 KWD 29.25

-45.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$46.47 KWD 14.25

-60.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$11.63 KWD 3.57

-56.41%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$408 KWD 125

-50.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$6,537 KWD 2,005

-20.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$42.11 KWD 12.91

-12.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$41.99 KWD 12.88

-5.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$89.0 KWD 27.30

-11.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$81.0 KWD 24.84

7.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$784 KWD 240

24.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$601 KWD 184

-22.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,548 KWD 475

6.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$1,293 KWD 397

-5.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,593 KWD 489

307.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

7.14

59.94%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ar-rawdah: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $784 in Ar-rawdah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $83.0 in Ar-rawdah. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $180, with Ar-rawdah cheaper for home cooking.

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 Ar-rawdah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Ar-rawdah. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $2,055 in Ar-rawdah 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $784 in Ar-rawdah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Ar-rawdah pay roughly 38% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $83.0 in Ar-rawdah. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,370 in Ar-rawdah, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ar-rawdah. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,297 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Ar-rawdah are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Ar-rawdah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.