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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $647 in El Jadida.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $978 in El Jadida.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,310 in El Jadida.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 100% more expensive than El Jadida, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, El Jadida 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.78 MAD 34.77

210.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$19.61 MAD 180

112.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.69 MAD 61.5

59.04%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.52 MAD 13.95

131.58%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.46 MAD 4.24

228.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.32 MAD 2.93

203.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.83 MAD 26.03

4.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.21 MAD 29.48

38.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$0.84 MAD 7.75

64.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.44 MAD 4.02

329.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.76 MAD 16.21

-6.82%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.78 MAD 16.38

41.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.88 MAD 44.88

70.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.87 MAD 35.53

115.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$8.18 MAD 75.2

31.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.56 MAD 14.36

66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.28 MAD 11.76

14.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$0.72 MAD 6.58

163.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$0.78 MAD 7.17

166.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.74 MAD 6.79

140.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.50 MAD 4.61

338.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.33 MAD 3.04

215.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.57 MAD 5.20

89.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.18 MAD 38.45

-2.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$4.47 MAD 41.04

130.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$2.38 MAD 21.83

-28.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.93 MAD 26.96

-11.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.51 MAD 4.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$26.35 MAD 242

0.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.08 MAD 9.91

201.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.48 MAD 4.43

418.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$3.33 MAD 30.60

-2.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.51 MAD 13.91

-13.25%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$32.5K MAD 298.7K

-6.85%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$30.1K MAD 276.3K

-22.06%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$32.07 MAD 295

158.40%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$11.03 MAD 101

101.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$32.95 MAD 303

-10.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$27.12 MAD 249

90.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$17.45 MAD 160

4.99%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$6.59 MAD 60.6

-23.07%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$88.7 MAD 815

126.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$2,576 MAD 23.7K

102.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$40.67 MAD 374

-9.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$40.56 MAD 373

-1.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$68.4 MAD 628

14.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$61.3 MAD 563

42.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$223 MAD 2,052

335.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$173 MAD 1,592

170.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$380 MAD 3,493

331.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$242 MAD 2,225

404.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,660 MAD 15.3K

137.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$840 MAD 7,721

673.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$486 MAD 4,463

36.71%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for El Jadida: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $223 in El Jadida. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 37% 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 $146 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 100% 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 37% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $223 in El Jadida. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% 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 $647 in El Jadida versus $1,297 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 $647 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 100% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.