Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and El Jadida Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and El Jadida

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $664 in El Jadida.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $986 in El Jadida.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,307 in El Jadida.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 89% more expensive than in El Jadida, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, El Jadida 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$3.85 MAD 35.91

211.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$19.90 MAD 186

109.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$6.75 MAD 62.9

59.26%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$1.52 MAD 14.15

130.26%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$0.43 MAD 4.03

237.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.32 MAD 2.98

175.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$2.76 MAD 25.78

6.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$3.24 MAD 30.23

39.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$0.88 MAD 8.21

62.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$0.47 MAD 4.39

291.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.85 MAD 17.21

-15.14%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$1.86 MAD 17.38

34.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$5.07 MAD 47.25

63.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$3.84 MAD 35.83

119.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$7.92 MAD 73.8

34.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$1.58 MAD 14.74

65.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.27 MAD 11.83

13.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$0.76 MAD 7.04

157.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$0.80 MAD 7.46

161.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$0.79 MAD 7.38

134.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$0.49 MAD 4.61

342.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$0.33 MAD 3.10

212.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.60 MAD 5.63

78.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$4.03 MAD 37.58

1.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$4.42 MAD 41.17

130.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$2.41 MAD 22.52

-30.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$2.93 MAD 27.34

-13.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.50 MAD 4.69

2.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$25.83 MAD 241

0.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$1.07 MAD 10.00

201.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$0.49 MAD 4.56

391.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$3.32 MAD 30.94

-2.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.53 MAD 14.26

-13.73%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$32.9K MAD 307.2K

-9.86%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$30.0K MAD 280.0K

-21.19%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$31.73 MAD 296

158.46%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$10.91 MAD 102

110.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$33.07 MAD 308

-8.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$27.23 MAD 254

90.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$17.78 MAD 166

4.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$6.68 MAD 62.3

-25.45%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$89.2 MAD 832

121.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$2,638 MAD 24.6K

102.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$40.04 MAD 373

-11.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$41.07 MAD 383

-1.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$66.4 MAD 619

18.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$60.2 MAD 561

47.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$231 MAD 2,155

309.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$173 MAD 1,613

174.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$390 MAD 3,633

321.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$250 MAD 2,334

383.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$1,597 MAD 14.9K

154.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$822 MAD 7,661

687.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

$473 MAD 4,411

38.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

128.40%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for El Jadida: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $231 in El Jadida. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 38% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $20.00 in El Jadida for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $148 per month, with El Jadida 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 El Jadida: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Jadida wins on cost – living expenses run 89% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making El Jadida the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 38% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $231 in El Jadida. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in El Jadida – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $664 in El Jadida versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in El Jadida but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes El Jadida the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but El Jadida delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $664 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes El Jadida hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and El Jadida 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 El Jadida gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.