Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Az-zarqa' Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Az-zarqa'

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,239 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $705 in Az-zarqa', rent included.

A couple spends around $2,168 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,091 in Az-zarqa', rent included.

A family of three spends $3,096 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,476 in Az-zarqa', rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 76% more than Az-zarqa', driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Az-zarqa' are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 8% lower, Az-zarqa' 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.17 MX$202

$4.27 JOD 3.03

161.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.61 MX$806

$25.19 JOD 17.83

77.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 MX$215

$5.58 JOD 3.95

113.44%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$68.9

$0.85 JOD 0.60

348.24%

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

$1.38 MX$24.86

$0.43 JOD 0.31

220.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 MX$14.39

$0.33 JOD 0.23

142.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$56.3

$4.26 JOD 3.01

-26.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 MX$89.8

$10.87 JOD 7.69

-54.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$27.30

$1.37 JOD 0.97

10.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 MX$40.59

$0.43 JOD 0.31

423.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 MX$27.23

$1.51 JOD 1.07

Eggs

$2.46 MX$44.52

$1.81 JOD 1.28

35.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.50 MX$136

$4.93 JOD 3.49

52.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.07 MX$146

$5.43 JOD 3.84

48.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 MX$236

$8.24 JOD 5.83

58.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 MX$51.2

$1.56 JOD 1.10

81.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MX$26.66

$1.33 JOD 0.94

10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 MX$48.68

$1.21 JOD 0.86

122.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$37.58

$0.59 JOD 0.41

252.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$35.36

$0.86 JOD 0.61

127.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.34

$0.84 JOD 0.60

139.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$21.87

$0.59 JOD 0.42

105.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 MX$22.24

$0.51 JOD 0.36

141.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 MX$80.7

$3.78 JOD 2.67

17.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.98 MX$180

$7.15 JOD 5.06

39.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 MX$29.49

$4.30 JOD 3.04

-62.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 MX$50.6

$4.35 JOD 3.08

-35.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 MX$10.45

$0.66 JOD 0.46

-12.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.28 MX$511

$21.06 JOD 14.90

34.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 MX$87.7

$0.63 JOD 0.45

669.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$63.2

$1.38 JOD 0.98

153.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 MX$102

$4.88 JOD 3.45

15.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.31

$1.39 JOD 0.98

5.04%

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

$21.4K MX$386.7K

$17.0K JOD 12.1K

25.63%

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

$24.0K MX$433.6K

$22.2K JOD 15.7K

8.14%

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

$86.3 MX$1,560

$126 JOD 88.9

-31.24%

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

$23.96 MX$433

$13.35 JOD 9.45

79.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.93 MX$523

$27.71 JOD 19.61

4.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 MX$1,168

$28.32 JOD 20.04

128.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.07 MX$525

$14.18 JOD 10.04

105.01%

Cinema Ticket

$5.13 MX$92.7

$10.14 JOD 7.17

-49.41%

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

$211 MX$3,820

$211 JOD 150

-0.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$73.1K

$4,263 JOD 3,017

-5.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 MX$799

$20.96 JOD 14.83

111.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.35 MX$784

$13.94 JOD 9.87

210.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 MX$1,390

$44.94 JOD 31.80

71.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,598

$39.93 JOD 28.26

121.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 MX$18.0K

$165 JOD 117

503.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 MX$6,843

$123 JOD 87.3

207.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 MX$31.9K

$302 JOD 213

485.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 MX$20.4K

$244 JOD 173

361.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 MX$72.5K

$567 JOD 402

606.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,392 MX$115.5K

$349 JOD 247

1730.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$768 MX$13.9K

$498 JOD 353

54.14%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Az-zarqa': September 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $996 in Playa del Carmen versus $165 in Az-zarqa'. 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 54% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $25.00 in Az-zarqa'. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $179 – making Az-zarqa' the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Az-zarqa': Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,239 in Playa del Carmen, $705 in Az-zarqa' – roughly 76% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,859 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,058 in Az-zarqa'. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Az-zarqa', especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 34% less in Az-zarqa'. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $211 per month in Playa del Carmen and $211 in Az-zarqa'. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Az-zarqa', where all-in costs run around $705, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,239. In Az-zarqa' it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $705 in Az-zarqa' to $1,239 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Az-zarqa'. 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.