Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and As Salt Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and As Salt

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $685 in As Salt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,077 in As Salt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,468 in As Salt.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 85% more expensive than in As Salt, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, As Salt 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$4.89 JOD 3.46

137.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$21.12 JOD 14.95

123.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$7.22 JOD 5.11

64.54%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.17 JOD 1.53

83.41%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$0.38 JOD 0.27

276.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.29 JOD 0.21

182.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$5.58 JOD 3.95

-42.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.25 JOD 3.00

59.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.25 JOD 0.89

34.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.31 JOD 0.22

609.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.52 JOD 1.07

12.50%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$1.73 JOD 1.23

58.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$4.72 JOD 3.34

102.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.31 JOD 2.34

172.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$12.84 JOD 9.08

-0.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$1.56 JOD 1.11

85.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.45 JOD 1.03

3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.45 JOD 1.03

48.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$0.77 JOD 0.54

193.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.75 JOD 0.53

164.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.55 JOD 0.39

261.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.47 JOD 0.33

161.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.58 JOD 0.41

106.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$3.62 JOD 2.56

25.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$14.21 JOD 10.06

-27.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$4.12 JOD 2.92

-60.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$4.98 JOD 3.53

-42.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.86 JOD 0.61

-30.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$28.76 JOD 20.36

0.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$0.57 JOD 0.41

845.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$1.44 JOD 1.02

159.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$6.89 JOD 4.87

-16.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.36 JOD 0.96

13.24%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$21.0K JOD 14.9K

7.37%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$25.4K JOD 18.0K

2.71%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$34.59 JOD 24.48

164.18%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$11.14 JOD 7.89

126.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$14.23 JOD 10.07

119.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$28.02 JOD 19.83

139.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$35.55 JOD 25.16

-18.12%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$7.16 JOD 5.07

-32.12%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$139 JOD 98.0

61.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$8,573 JOD 6,067

-50.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$24.71 JOD 17.48

90.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$49.75 JOD 35.21

-10.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$50.1 JOD 35.44

59.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$28.55 JOD 20.20

224.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$141 JOD 100

651.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$153 JOD 109

154.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$248 JOD 175

768.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$279 JOD 198

355.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$562 JOD 398

34.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.81

68.14%

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 As Salt: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $141 in As Salt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 35% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in As Salt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $195 per month, with As Salt 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 As Salt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

As Salt wins on cost – living expenses run 85% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making As Salt the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 35% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $141 in As Salt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in As Salt – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $685 in As Salt – a 85% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $685 in As Salt versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in As Salt but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes As Salt the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but As Salt delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $685 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes As Salt hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and As Salt 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 As Salt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.