Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Janub-as-surrah Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Janub-as-surrah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,340 in Janub-as-surrah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,242 in Janub-as-surrah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,144 in Janub-as-surrah.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 5% less than in Janub-as-surrah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Janub-as-surrah is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$7.91 KWD 2.43

50.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$58.3 KWD 17.90

-26.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.56 KWD 2.63

24.42%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 KWD 0.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 KWD 1.04

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$5.42 KWD 1.67

-36.35%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.59 KWD 0.18

154.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.34 KWD 0.10

179.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.44 KWD 0.44

-4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.05 KWD 0.32

76.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.73 KWD 0.53

-6.94%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.04 KWD 0.63

26.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$4.58 KWD 1.41

80.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.60 KWD 2.03

26.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.83 KWD 3.02

8.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.34 KWD 0.72

12.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.60 KWD 0.49

-6.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.53 KWD 0.47

25.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.38 KWD 0.42

51.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.29 KWD 0.40

44.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.10 KWD 0.34

105.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.64 KWD 0.50

-35.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.46 KWD 0.14

136.96%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.98 KWD 0.92

39.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.88 KWD 0.27

-38.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$44.03 KWD 13.53

-38.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.29 KWD 1.01

-4.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$3.26 KWD 1.00

-23.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$16.02 KWD 4.92

-80.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.37 KWD 0.11

243.24%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$20.4K KWD 6,253

49.22%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$19.3K KWD 5,938

21.92%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$61.8 KWD 18.98

34.33%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$18.14 KWD 5.57

25.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$26.02 KWD 7.99

13.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$94.9 KWD 29.17

-46.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$46.92 KWD 14.41

-60.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$11.59 KWD 3.56

-57.46%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$285 KWD 87.4

-30.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$6,089 KWD 1,871

-13.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$42.26 KWD 12.98

-12.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$42.27 KWD 12.98

-5.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$87.2 KWD 26.79

-8.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$81.6 KWD 25.07

9.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$805 KWD 247

18.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$604 KWD 185

-20.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,555 KWD 478

5.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$1,274 KWD 391

-3.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

7.14

59.94%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Janub-as-surrah: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $805 in Janub-as-surrah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $58.0 in Janub-as-surrah. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $169, with Janub-as-surrah cheaper for home cooking.

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 Janub-as-surrah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Janub-as-surrah. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $2,009 in Janub-as-surrah 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $805 in Janub-as-surrah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,340 in Janub-as-surrah – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 63% less than in Janub-as-surrah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,340 in Janub-as-surrah, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Janub-as-surrah. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,271 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Janub-as-surrah 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Janub-as-surrah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.