🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,323 in Janub-as-surrah.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,196 in Janub-as-surrah.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,069 in Janub-as-surrah.
🙂Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 3% less than in Janub-as-surrah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen4% lower, Janub-as-surrah1% lower.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Janub-as-surrah
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.94MX$208
$7.54KWD 2.32
58.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.75MX$744
$58.7KWD 18.08
-27.16%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.59MX$184
$8.42KWD 2.59
25.77%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.49KWD 0.77
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.54KWD 1.09
-
Cappuccino
$3.62MX$63.0
$5.25KWD 1.62
-31.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47MX$25.54
$0.59KWD 0.18
149.15%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94MX$16.41
$0.33KWD 0.10
184.85%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.09MX$53.8
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.46MX$77.6
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Janub-as-surrah
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$1.43MX$24.80
$1.43KWD 0.44
-
White Bread(500g)
$1.88MX$32.79
$1.04KWD 0.32
80.77%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.63MX$28.34
$1.64KWD 0.51
-0.61%
Eggs
$2.64MX$45.99
$2.06KWD 0.63
28.16%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.21MX$143
$4.46KWD 1.37
84.08%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.29MX$144
$6.67KWD 2.06
24.29%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.10MX$193
$9.81KWD 3.02
13.15%
Apples(1kg)
$2.65MX$46.14
$2.31KWD 0.71
14.72%
Banana(1kg)
$1.50MX$26.11
$1.60KWD 0.49
-6.25%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.99MX$34.59
$1.57KWD 0.48
26.75%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.08MX$36.13
$1.37KWD 0.42
51.82%
Potato(1kg)
$1.79MX$31.11
$1.21KWD 0.37
47.93%
Onion(1kg)
$2.18MX$37.87
$1.14KWD 0.35
91.23%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.08MX$18.73
$1.61KWD 0.50
-32.92%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.04MX$18.04
$0.43KWD 0.13
141.86%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.01KWD 0.31
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.34KWD 0.41
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.97MX$69.1
$2.91KWD 0.90
36.43%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.20MX$178
-
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.73MX$30.04
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50MX$43.46
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Janub-as-surrah
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.52MX$9.02
$0.85KWD 0.26
-38.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$26.97MX$469
$44.82KWD 13.80
-39.83%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.14MX$54.7
$3.29KWD 1.01
-4.56%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.40MX$41.80
$3.23KWD 0.99
-25.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$3.09MX$53.7
$16.11KWD 4.96
-80.82%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.27MX$22.16
$0.34KWD 0.10
273.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.9KMX$537.3K
$20.7KKWD 6,369
49.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3KMX$405.7K
$19.0KKWD 5,841
22.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Janub-as-surrah
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$82.0MX$1,427
$62.4KWD 19.21
31.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.45MX$391
$18.21KWD 5.61
23.28%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.66MX$516
$25.33KWD 7.80
17.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Janub-as-surrah
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$51.9MX$903
$93.5KWD 28.79
-44.50%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.67MX$325
$46.37KWD 14.28
-59.74%
Cinema Ticket
$4.97MX$86.5
$11.46KWD 3.53
-56.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Janub-as-surrah
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$198MX$3,442
$278KWD 85.7
-28.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,273MX$91.7K
$5,984KWD 1,843
-11.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Janub-as-surrah
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.34MX$632
$42.32KWD 13.03
-14.13%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.05MX$697
$42.41KWD 13.06
-5.56%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$79.9MX$1,390
$87.1KWD 26.84
-8.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.9MX$1,547
$80.2KWD 24.71
10.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Janub-as-surrah
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$963MX$16.8K
$800KWD 246
20.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$465MX$8,086
$616KWD 190
-24.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,596MX$27.8K
$1,565KWD 482
1.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,209MX$21.0K
$1,311KWD 404
-7.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,942MX$68.6K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$6,448MX$112.2K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Janub-as-surrah
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$720MX$12.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
11.42
7.14
59.94%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026
Última actualización para Janub-as-surrah: April 28, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $800 in Janub-as-surrah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $59.0 in Janub-as-surrah. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $167, with Janub-as-surrah cheaper for home cooking.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Playa del Carmen vs Janub-as-surrah: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Which city is more expensive, Playa del Carmen or Janub-as-surrah?
Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 3% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Playa del Carmen vs Janub-as-surrah?
You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,985 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Playa del Carmen vs Janub-as-surrah?
Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $800 in Janub-as-surrah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Playa del Carmen compared to Janub-as-surrah?
All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,323 in Janub-as-surrah – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Playa del Carmen vs Janub-as-surrah?
A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 66% less than in Janub-as-surrah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Playa del Carmen or Janub-as-surrah?
At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,323 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.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Playa del Carmen or Janub-as-surrah?
Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,287 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.
How safe is Playa del Carmen compared to Janub-as-surrah?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Janub-as-surrah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Playa del Carmen vs otros destinos: coste de vida comparado