Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Madinat Hamad Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Madinat Hamad

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,173 in Madinat Hamad, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,899 in Madinat Hamad, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,625 in Madinat Hamad, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 10% more than Madinat Hamad, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Playa del Carmen and Madinat Hamad are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Madinat Hamad 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$2.71 BHD 1.02

340.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$52.8 BHD 19.87

-19.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.33 BHD 2.75

44.47%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.62 BHD 0.98

38.17%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.81 BHD 0.30

81.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.37 BHD 0.14

154.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$7.82 BHD 2.94

-60.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$10.70 BHD 4.02

-58.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.55 BHD 0.58

-7.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.08 BHD 0.40

74.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$2.39 BHD 0.90

-31.80%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.98 BHD 0.74

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$8.46 BHD 3.18

-2.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$7.53 BHD 2.83

10.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$10.29 BHD 3.87

7.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.16 BHD 0.81

22.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.62 BHD 0.61

-7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.75 BHD 0.66

13.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.21 BHD 0.45

71.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.93 BHD 0.35

92.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.03 BHD 0.39

111.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.52 BHD 0.57

-28.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.55 BHD 0.21

89.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$6.77 BHD 2.54

-41.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$18.42 BHD 6.93

-44.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$3.32 BHD 1.25

-47.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$3.32 BHD 1.25

-24.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.63 BHD 0.24

-17.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$34.92 BHD 13.13

-22.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$4.55 BHD 1.71

-30.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$3.39 BHD 1.28

-29.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$26.32 BHD 9.89

-88.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.36 BHD 0.13

252.78%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$37.3K BHD 14.0K

-17.17%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$20.7K BHD 7,782

12.66%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$120 BHD 44.97

-31.42%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$23.99 BHD 9.02

-6.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$18.72 BHD 7.04

58.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$118 BHD 44.45

-56.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$52.0 BHD 19.54

-64.08%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.37 BHD 2.02

-7.45%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$387 BHD 145

-48.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$8,985 BHD 3,378

-41.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$46.29 BHD 17.41

-21.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$62.6 BHD 23.54

-36.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$81.9 BHD 30.79

-2.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$88.4 BHD 33.25

0.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$402 BHD 151

139.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$320 BHD 120

45.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$809 BHD 304

97.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$652 BHD 245

85.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$661 BHD 249

8.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

8.56

33.41%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Madinat Hamad: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $402 in Madinat Hamad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 9% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $53.0 in Madinat Hamad. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $249 in Madinat Hamad – so Madinat Hamad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Madinat Hamad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, $1,173 in Madinat Hamad – roughly 10% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,760 in Madinat Hamad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Madinat Hamad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 29% less in Madinat Hamad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $387 in Madinat Hamad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Madinat Hamad, where all-in costs run around $1,173, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Madinat Hamad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,173 in Madinat Hamad to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Madinat Hamad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.