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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,206 in Madinat Hamad, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,905 in Madinat Hamad, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,603 in Madinat Hamad, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 4% 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 5% lower, Madinat Hamad 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$2.57 BHD 0.97

356.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$53.5 BHD 20.18

-21.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.50 BHD 2.83

40.13%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.68 BHD 1.01

33.96%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.85 BHD 0.32

77.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.39 BHD 0.15

135.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$7.90 BHD 2.98

-62.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$10.57 BHD 3.98

-58.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.62 BHD 0.61

-13.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.04 BHD 0.39

80.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.41 BHD 0.91

-35.27%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.04 BHD 0.77

27.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$8.59 BHD 3.24

-3.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$7.85 BHD 2.96

6.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$10.36 BHD 3.90

4.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.14 BHD 0.81

26.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.55 BHD 0.58

-2.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.73 BHD 0.65

8.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.21 BHD 0.46

80.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.93 BHD 0.35

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.04 BHD 0.39

114.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.50 BHD 0.57

-28.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.52 BHD 0.20

109.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$6.50 BHD 2.45

-35.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$18.49 BHD 6.97

-43.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$3.46 BHD 1.30

-52.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$3.27 BHD 1.23

-20.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.68 BHD 0.26

-20.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$34.98 BHD 13.18

-25.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$4.74 BHD 1.78

-35.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$3.34 BHD 1.26

-28.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$26.68 BHD 10.06

-88.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.35 BHD 0.13

274.29%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$37.1K BHD 14.0K

-19.66%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$21.1K BHD 7,969

10.31%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$123 BHD 46.52

-34.14%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$23.61 BHD 8.90

-4.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$18.26 BHD 6.88

64.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$118 BHD 44.42

-55.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$53.3 BHD 20.10

-65.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$5.33 BHD 2.01

-7.69%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$382 BHD 144

-47.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$8,807 BHD 3,319

-41.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$45.43 BHD 17.12

-20.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$63.1 BHD 23.80

-36.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$84.4 BHD 31.80

-5.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$90.2 BHD 33.99

-4.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$391 BHD 147

150.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$312 BHD 118

50.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$796 BHD 300

107.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$670 BHD 253

79.57%

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

$655 BHD 247

3.25%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Madinat Hamad: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $391 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 3% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $54.0 in Madinat Hamad. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $251 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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, $1,206 in Madinat Hamad – roughly 4% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,809 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 34% less in Madinat Hamad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $382 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 $1,206, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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 $1,206 in Madinat Hamad to $1,260 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.