Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Khemisset

For one person, living is cheaper in Khemisset: $700 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Khemisset, Morocco
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Khemisset
🇲🇦 Morocco
$700
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Khemisset

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Khemisset actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $700 in Khemisset.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Khemisset $700

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,091 in Khemisset.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Khemisset $1,091

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,481 in Khemisset.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Khemisset $1,481

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 72% more expensive than in Khemisset, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Khemisset 49% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Khemisset
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$204
$1.51 MAD 14.89
623.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$808
$35.30 MAD 348
22.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$220
$7.22 MAD 71.1
63.16%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.0
$0.77 MAD 7.63
394.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.90
$0.84 MAD 8.30
52.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.59
$0.22 MAD 2.15
254.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.0
$6.18 MAD 60.9
-48.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.0
$5.15 MAD 50.8
-4.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Khemisset
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$0.78 MAD 7.71
80.77%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.33
$0.45 MAD 4.40
393.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.42
$1.35 MAD 13.27
5.19%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.03
$1.85 MAD 18.18
36.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$135
$9.94 MAD 97.9
-26.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$143
$6.95 MAD 68.4
10.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$237
$8.04 MAD 79.2
57.84%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.9
$0.91 MAD 8.93
205.49%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.50
$1.08 MAD 10.65
26.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.55
$0.69 MAD 6.78
269.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.58
$0.40 MAD 3.92
430.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.13
$0.63 MAD 6.18
207.94%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.16
$0.58 MAD 5.72
225.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.37
$0.49 MAD 4.84
134.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$21.98
$0.58 MAD 5.71
103.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.1
$4.18 MAD 41.13
2.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$185
$8.91 MAD 87.7
11.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.52
$3.70 MAD 36.42
-57.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$49.79
$3.87 MAD 38.12
-31.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Khemisset
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.31
$0.48 MAD 4.77
14.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$496
$22.25 MAD 219
19.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$92.6
$0.70 MAD 6.86
610.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.1
$0.84 MAD 8.29
296.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$99.8
$9.35 MAD 92.1
-42.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.92
$1.47 MAD 14.47
-2.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$385.2K
$29.9K MAD 294.5K
-30.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$437.4K
$31.4K MAD 308.9K
-25.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Khemisset
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,581
$35.92 MAD 354
136.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$436
$6.20 MAD 61.0
277.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$534
$38.08 MAD 375
-24.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Khemisset
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,063
$12.86 MAD 127
343.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$539
$23.37 MAD 230
23.71%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$95.8
$7.09 MAD 69.8
-27.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Khemisset
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,851
$91.8 MAD 904
125.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.2K
$5,889 MAD 58.0K
-33.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Khemisset
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$808
$35.11 MAD 346
23.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$772
$48.92 MAD 482
-15.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,383
$96.4 MAD 949
-23.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,664
$104 MAD 1,029
-14.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Khemisset
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.3K
$291 MAD 2,867
236.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,099
$162 MAD 1,592
135.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.8K
$459 MAD 4,518
272.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.0K
$230 MAD 2,266
367.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.5K
$1,112 MAD 10.9K
254.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$114.8K
$837 MAD 8,244
635.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Khemisset
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.7K
$404 MAD 3,974
82.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
3.67
211.99%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Khemisset: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Khemisset
$162 57.5% $219
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Khemisset
$186 27.2% $69
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Khemisset
$89 56.3% $114
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Khemisset
$80 41.4% $57
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Khemisset
$128 14.8% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Khemisset
$27 59.8% $40
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Khemisset
$29 42.3% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $291 in Khemisset. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 82% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $35 in Khemisset for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $186 per month, with Khemisset cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇲🇦 Khemisset
🕒 Local time
07:12 7:12 AM
12:12 12:12 PM
5 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
131,542
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.85 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Khemisset 7,950 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Khemisset

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Khemisset: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Playa del Carmen and in Khemisset?
Playa del Carmen and Khemisset differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($1,204 vs $700 including rent). Khemisset is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Playa del Carmen or Khemisset?
Average pay runs 82% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Khemisset?
Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $291 in Khemisset. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Khemisset – a meal for two runs $35 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Playa del Carmen or Khemisset?
All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $700 in Khemisset – a 72% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $700 in Khemisset versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Khemisset but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Khemisset the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Khemisset?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Where should expats move: Playa del Carmen or Khemisset?
Expats usually find Khemisset gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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