Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and At Tafilah

For one person, living is cheaper in At Tafilah: $191 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
At Tafilah
🇯🇴 Jordan
$191
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in At Tafilah

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 At Tafilah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $191 in At Tafilah.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • At Tafilah $191

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $364 in At Tafilah.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,102
  • At Tafilah $364

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $536 in At Tafilah.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,000
  • At Tafilah $536

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 531% more expensive than in At Tafilah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 11% lower, At Tafilah 86% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
At Tafilah
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.86 MX$201
$4.36 JOD 3.09
149.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.21 MX$817
$27.92 JOD 19.77
58.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.76 MX$217
$5.61 JOD 3.97
109.63%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.0
$3.50 JOD 2.48
5.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 MX$24.79
$0.34 JOD 0.24
294.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 MX$15.24
$0.45 JOD 0.32
82.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.06 MX$56.6
$5.75 JOD 4.07
-46.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.94 MX$91.2
$7.07 JOD 5.00
-30.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
At Tafilah
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$1.65 JOD 1.17
-10.91%
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
$2.16 JOD 1.53
28.70%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 MX$26.37
$2.10 JOD 1.49
-31.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.62 MX$48.37
$1.37 JOD 0.97
91.24%
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
$0.48 JOD 0.34
150.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 MX$78.7
$3.13 JOD 2.22
36.10%
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
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
At Tafilah
Difference
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
-
-
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
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
At Tafilah
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$85.4 MX$1,577
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.46 MX$434
-
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.43 MX$525
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
At Tafilah
Difference
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
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
At Tafilah
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 MX$3,715
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,947 MX$72.9K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
At Tafilah
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.39 MX$820
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.35 MX$764
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.7 MX$1,344
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.6 MX$1,656
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
At Tafilah
Difference
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
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,095 MX$20.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,949 MX$73.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,137 MX$113.4K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
At Tafilah
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$738 MX$13.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
0
-

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 At Tafilah: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$373
At Tafilah
–
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
At Tafilah
–
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
At Tafilah
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
At Tafilah
–
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
At Tafilah
–
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$72
At Tafilah
–
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$52
At Tafilah
–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $44.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $28.00 in At Tafilah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $51.0 per month, with At Tafilah cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇯🇴 At Tafilah
🕒 Local time
06:40 6:40 AM
14:40 2:40 PM
8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
25,429
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JOD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

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).

Jordanian Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.708 JOD (1 JOD = 1.41 USD). 1 EUR = 0.796 JOD (1 JOD = 1.26 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen At Tafilah 11,640 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • At Tafilah

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 At Tafilah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is At Tafilah cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
At Tafilah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 531% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $286 in At Tafilah 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.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in At Tafilah?
Supermarket bills run roughly 406% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Playa del Carmen or in At Tafilah?
Dining out is cheaper in At Tafilah – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in At Tafilah?
At $191 in At Tafilah versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in At Tafilah but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes At Tafilah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Playa del Carmen or At Tafilah more family-friendly?
For families, At Tafilah 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.
Which city is safer, Playa del Carmen or At Tafilah?
Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and At Tafilah are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find At Tafilah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 531% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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