Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mahabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahabad: $528 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Mahabad
Learn more

Mahabad Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Mahabad

🇮🇷 Iran

$528

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Mahabad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $528 in Mahabad, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Mahabad $528

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $831 in Mahabad, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Mahabad $831

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,135 in Mahabad, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Mahabad $1,135

Playa del Carmen costs about 128% more than Mahabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Mahabad are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Mahabad 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$200

$2.92 $2.92

265.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$819

$16.31 $16.31

168.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$220

$3.99 $3.99

195.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.8

$1.13 $1.13

235.40%

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

$1.30 MX$24.26

$0.51 $0.51

154.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.59

$0.99 $0.99

-16.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.3

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

$0.68 $0.68

107.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.07

$0.51 $0.51

331.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.54

$2.09 $2.09

-29.67%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.70

$1.24 $1.24

101.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$4.47 $4.47

63.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$149

$3.34 $3.34

138.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$241

$7.85 $7.85

63.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.2

$1.03 $1.03

181.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.87

$1.59 $1.59

-13.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.59

$0.86 $0.86

189.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.97

$0.57 $0.57

256.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.88

$0.57 $0.57

254.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.60

$0.47 $0.47

304.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.41

$0.54 $0.54

111.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.17

$0.24 $0.24

416.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 $0.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 $0.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 $1.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.9

$2.46 $2.46

73.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$184

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.63

$0.14 $0.14

264.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$512

$9.67 $9.67

183.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.1

$0.44 $0.44

981.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.8

$0.31 $0.31

948.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

$2.63 $2.63

104.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.58

$0.10 $0.10

1430.00%

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

$21.2K MX$396.8K

$50.0K $50.0K

-57.55%

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

$23.3K MX$435.1K

$45.4K $45.4K

-48.78%

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

$83.5 MX$1,562

$12.98 $12.98

543.22%

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

$23.19 MX$434

$1.57 $1.57

1377.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$516

$3.81 $3.81

624.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,056

$18.40 $18.40

206.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$527

$13.52 $13.52

108.51%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.5

$2.04 $2.04

145.10%

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

$207 MX$3,873

$107 $107

92.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.8K

$2,442 $2,442

114.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$813

$22.95 $22.95

89.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$796

$27.82 $27.82

52.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,361

$98.5 $98.5

-26.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,653

$73.7 $73.7

19.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.6K

$290 $290

243.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,152

$212 $212

80.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.3K

$806 $806

107.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.2K

$356 $356

203.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.1K

$1,134 $1,134

244.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.8K

$541 $541

1033.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

$254 $254

228.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

24.3

-52.88%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mahabad: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Mahabad

$212 40.2% 44.6% $170

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Mahabad

$108 20.4% 58.2% $150

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Mahabad

$55 10.4% 72.6% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Mahabad

$18 3.5% 86.3% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Mahabad

$100 19% 9.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Mahabad

$22 4.3% 66.2% $44

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Mahabad

$12 2.3% 75.8% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $290 in Mahabad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $16 in Mahabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $108 – making Mahabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇷 Mahabad

🕒 Local time

14:35 2:35 PM

23:05 11:05 PM

8 h 30 min ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

208,541

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Mahabad 11,940 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Mahabad

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 Mahabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 128%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $792 in Mahabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahabad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $107 in Mahabad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 139% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mahabad, where all-in costs run around $528, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Mahabad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mahabad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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