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: $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,594 in Juffair.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,158 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,260 in Juffair.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,054 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,925 in Juffair.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 21% less than in Juffair, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Juffair is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$6.60 BHD 2.48

75.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$740

$31.81 BHD 11.96

34.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$7.60 BHD 2.86

39.47%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.2

$5.23 BHD 1.97

-31.36%

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

$1.45 MX$25.15

$0.73 BHD 0.28

98.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.55

$0.28 BHD 0.11

221.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.5

$5.32 BHD 2.00

-43.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.0

$9.33 BHD 3.51

-51.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.14

$1.61 BHD 0.61

-9.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.64

$1.30 BHD 0.49

40.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.85

$1.63 BHD 0.61

-1.23%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.95

$2.40 BHD 0.90

5.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$6.69 BHD 2.52

27.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$6.53 BHD 2.46

29.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$9.31 BHD 3.50

16.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.26

$2.34 BHD 0.88

16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.85

$2.04 BHD 0.77

-26.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.65

$1.70 BHD 0.64

14.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.49

$1.16 BHD 0.44

86.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$31.97

$0.94 BHD 0.35

96.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.91

$1.08 BHD 0.40

102.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.58

$1.50 BHD 0.56

-28.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.76

$0.77 BHD 0.29

40.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.3

$6.81 BHD 2.56

-40.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$181

$18.85 BHD 7.09

-44.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.64

$3.38 BHD 1.27

-51.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.13

$3.13 BHD 1.18

-18.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$0.70 BHD 0.26

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$454

$35.62 BHD 13.39

-26.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$3.17 BHD 1.19

-0.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.08

$4.03 BHD 1.51

-41.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$26.88 BHD 10.11

-87.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.76

$0.22 BHD 0.08

495.45%

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

$30.5K MX$528.9K

$28.2K BHD 10.6K

8.34%

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

$23.8K MX$412.6K

$18.1K BHD 6,824

31.26%

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

$83.1 MX$1,440

$123 BHD 46.40

-32.63%

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

$22.15 MX$384

$26.90 BHD 10.11

-17.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$509

$31.81 BHD 11.96

-7.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$887

$52.9 BHD 19.89

-3.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$39.22 BHD 14.75

-52.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.7

$9.22 BHD 3.47

-46.96%

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

$199 MX$3,441

$237 BHD 89.0

-16.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.2K

$8,823 BHD 3,317

-40.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$622

$43.17 BHD 16.23

-16.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$682

$32.25 BHD 12.13

22.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,391

$65.1 BHD 24.48

23.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,517

$66.5 BHD 25.01

31.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$970 BHD 365

-0.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,350

$743 BHD 279

-35.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.5K

$1,769 BHD 665

-7.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.6K

$1,198 BHD 450

-0.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.5K

$2,137 BHD 804

85.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$112.8K

$1,599 BHD 601

307.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

$2,740 BHD 1,030

-73.49%

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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Juffair: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $970 in Juffair. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Juffair pays 277% 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: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $32 in Juffair for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $243 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 26% 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 277% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $970 in Juffair. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,262 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,594 in Juffair – a 26% 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 36% less than in Juffair. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,594 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 $1,262 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 26% less than in Juffair. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.