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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $651 in El Jadida.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $967 in El Jadida.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,282 in El Jadida.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, El Jadida 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$2.87 MAD 27.01

316.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$21.20 MAD 199

123.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$6.21 MAD 58.4

89.21%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$1.59 MAD 14.96

159.12%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.47 MAD 4.43

197.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.29 MAD 2.68

213.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.79 MAD 26.24

15.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.63 MAD 24.67

168.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$0.96 MAD 9.01

75.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.42 MAD 3.92

411.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.97 MAD 18.53

-10.15%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.94 MAD 18.19

45.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$6.56 MAD 61.6

40.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$4.20 MAD 39.49

119.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$8.20 MAD 77.0

54.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.59 MAD 14.94

85.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.47 MAD 13.84

7.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$0.72 MAD 6.74

208.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$0.67 MAD 6.32

252.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.69 MAD 6.46

188.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.48 MAD 4.48

312.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.33 MAD 3.14

275.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.54 MAD 5.07

124.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$3.98 MAD 37.44

15.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$4.15 MAD 38.99

153.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.61 MAD 24.52

-35.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$3.02 MAD 28.42

-8.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.47 MAD 4.38

27.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$17.20 MAD 162

72.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.08 MAD 10.17

385.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.09 MAD 10.25

234.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$5.46 MAD 51.3

5.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.56 MAD 14.65

-1.28%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$34.9K MAD 327.8K

-34.63%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$31.2K MAD 293.1K

-17.24%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$29.29 MAD 275

209.56%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$10.52 MAD 98.9

139.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$32.46 MAD 305

-2.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$29.84 MAD 280

130.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$12.61 MAD 118

132.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$6.58 MAD 61.8

-26.14%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$116 MAD 1,086

95.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$3,239 MAD 30.4K

29.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$28.85 MAD 271

64.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$37.71 MAD 354

15.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$66.7 MAD 627

20.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$74.0 MAD 695

23.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$211 MAD 1,987

413.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$173 MAD 1,624

136.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$369 MAD 3,465

434.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$237 MAD 2,227

440.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$1,570 MAD 14.8K

157.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$818 MAD 7,688

719.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$482 MAD 4,530

60.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.5

108.18%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for El Jadida: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $211 in El Jadida. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 60% 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 El Jadida for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $156 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.

Average pay runs 60% 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $211 in El Jadida. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% 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 $21.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $651 in El Jadida versus $1,305 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 $651 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.