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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,355 in Janub-as-surrah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,250 in Janub-as-surrah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,146 in Janub-as-surrah.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 7% 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 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$7.80 KWD 2.40

50.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$58.9 KWD 18.11

-28.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$8.39 KWD 2.58

25.27%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 KWD 0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 KWD 1.08

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$5.50 KWD 1.69

-34.73%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.63 KWD 0.20

139.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.34 KWD 0.10

170.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.43 KWD 0.44

-2.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.05 KWD 0.32

79.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.71 KWD 0.53

-8.77%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.96 KWD 0.60

33.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$4.56 KWD 1.40

82.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.52 KWD 2.01

28.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$9.95 KWD 3.06

9.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.31 KWD 0.71

17.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.68 KWD 0.52

-10.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.57 KWD 0.48

19.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.40 KWD 0.43

56.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.23 KWD 0.38

51.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.13 KWD 0.35

97.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.67 KWD 0.51

-35.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.46 KWD 0.14

136.96%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.69 KWD 1.13

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 KWD 0.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.98 KWD 0.92

40.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.88 KWD 0.27

-38.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$44.22 KWD 13.60

-40.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$3.19 KWD 0.98

-3.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$3.21 KWD 0.99

-25.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$16.47 KWD 5.07

-81.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.36 KWD 0.11

263.89%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$20.7K KWD 6,379

43.73%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$18.9K KWD 5,800

23.69%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$61.4 KWD 18.88

32.40%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$18.27 KWD 5.62

23.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$26.12 KWD 8.03

15.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$94.4 KWD 29.04

-43.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$45.74 KWD 14.07

-59.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$11.54 KWD 3.55

-57.37%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$278 KWD 85.4

-27.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$6,190 KWD 1,904

-16.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$42.97 KWD 13.22

-16.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$42.65 KWD 13.12

-5.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$86.3 KWD 26.54

-7.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$83.1 KWD 25.56

4.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$791 KWD 243

23.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$622 KWD 191

-24.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$1,596 KWD 491

3.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$1,307 KWD 402

-7.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Janub-as-surrah: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $791 in Janub-as-surrah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $59.0 in Janub-as-surrah. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 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 7% 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 $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $2,032 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $791 in Janub-as-surrah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,355 in Janub-as-surrah – a 7% 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 69% less than in Janub-as-surrah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,355 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 $1,260 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 7% less than in Janub-as-surrah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.