Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Juffair Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Juffair

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,592 in Juffair.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,311 in Juffair.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,031 in Juffair.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 19% less than in Juffair, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Juffair is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$6.79 BHD 2.56

72.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$727

$31.43 BHD 11.85

32.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$7.59 BHD 2.86

40.18%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.4

$5.23 BHD 1.97

-32.70%

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

$1.51 MX$26.37

$0.73 BHD 0.28

106.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.00

$0.28 BHD 0.11

246.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$5.37 BHD 2.03

-45.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.8

$9.01 BHD 3.40

-50.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.16

$1.60 BHD 0.60

-13.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.03

$1.33 BHD 0.50

42.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.59

$1.69 BHD 0.64

-2.96%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.76

$2.48 BHD 0.93

1.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$6.80 BHD 2.57

22.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$6.33 BHD 2.39

31.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$9.46 BHD 3.57

13.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.47

$2.36 BHD 0.89

10.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$2.04 BHD 0.77

-28.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.19

$1.74 BHD 0.66

9.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.26

$1.18 BHD 0.44

76.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.01

$0.89 BHD 0.34

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.16

$1.05 BHD 0.39

108.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$1.51 BHD 0.57

-31.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.80

$0.79 BHD 0.30

36.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.3

$6.53 BHD 2.46

-37.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$180

$18.65 BHD 7.03

-44.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.90

$3.35 BHD 1.26

-48.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.97

$3.17 BHD 1.19

-18.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.71 BHD 0.27

-28.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

$35.67 BHD 13.45

-25.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$3.16 BHD 1.19

3.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.50

$3.91 BHD 1.47

-36.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.7

$27.03 BHD 10.19

-87.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.83

$0.22 BHD 0.08

495.45%

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

$30.3K MX$528.8K

$27.6K BHD 10.4K

9.84%

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

$23.4K MX$409.2K

$17.7K BHD 6,689

32.06%

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

$82.9 MX$1,447

$122 BHD 45.95

-32.01%

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

$22.22 MX$388

$27.29 BHD 10.29

-18.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$512

$32.41 BHD 12.22

-9.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$902

$53.9 BHD 20.31

-4.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

$40.13 BHD 15.13

-54.35%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.5

$9.39 BHD 3.54

-46.01%

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

$201 MX$3,507

$240 BHD 90.5

-16.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.0K

$8,845 BHD 3,335

-41.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$645

$43.19 BHD 16.28

-14.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$695

$31.30 BHD 11.80

27.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,370

$66.8 BHD 25.19

17.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,521

$67.2 BHD 25.31

29.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$975 BHD 368

-0.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,168

$728 BHD 274

-35.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$1,763 BHD 665

-6.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

$1,175 BHD 443

3.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.9K

$2,089 BHD 788

88.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

$1,561 BHD 588

316.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

$2,800 BHD 1,056

-76.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

63.14%

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 Juffair: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $975 in Juffair. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Juffair pays 322% 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 $31.00 in Juffair for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $244 per month, with Juffair 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 Juffair: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Juffair. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Juffair earns 322% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $975 in Juffair. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,592 in Juffair – a 23% 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 35% less than in Juffair. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,592 in Juffair, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Juffair. 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 $1,297 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 Juffair 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 23% less than in Juffair. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.