Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mahboula Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mahboula

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,237 in Mahboula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,003 in Mahboula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,768 in Mahboula.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 5% more expensive than Mahboula, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Mahboula 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$6.35 KWD 1.96

84.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$26.37 KWD 8.14

57.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$8.93 KWD 2.76

19.15%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 KWD 0.49

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 KWD 1.02

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$6.09 KWD 1.88

-42.20%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.51 KWD 0.16

196.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.15 KWD 0.05

546.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.61 KWD 0.50

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.99 KWD 0.31

90.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.70 KWD 0.53

-3.53%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.28 KWD 0.40

96.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$5.11 KWD 1.58

63.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$6.61 KWD 2.04

26.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$10.29 KWD 3.18

4.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$2.44 KWD 0.75

6.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.98 KWD 0.61

-26.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.79 KWD 0.55

6.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.15 KWD 0.36

80.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.26 KWD 0.39

41.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.17 KWD 0.36

87.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.62 KWD 0.50

-35.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.46 KWD 0.14

134.78%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.24 KWD 1.00

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$1.65 KWD 0.51

147.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.84 KWD 0.26

-39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$49.37 KWD 15.25

-46.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.68 KWD 0.52

94.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$1.66 KWD 0.51

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$5.68 KWD 1.75

-42.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$0.16 KWD 0.05

718.75%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$19.7K KWD 6,096

53.38%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$17.7K KWD 5,476

32.11%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$61.8 KWD 19.08

34.12%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$16.14 KWD 4.99

37.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$25.77 KWD 7.96

13.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$95.6 KWD 29.53

-46.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$46.51 KWD 14.36

-60.61%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$11.48 KWD 3.55

-55.84%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$385 KWD 119

-47.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$6,504 KWD 2,008

-19.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$41.85 KWD 12.92

-11.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$42.12 KWD 13.01

-5.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$88.9 KWD 27.45

-11.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$80.5 KWD 24.87

8.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$731 KWD 226

33.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$503 KWD 155

-6.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,781 KWD 550

-7.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$1,128 KWD 348

8.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$1,282 KWD 396

-48.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

7.14

59.94%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mahboula: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $731 in Mahboula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mahboula pays 93% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $26.00 in Mahboula for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $172 per month, with Mahboula 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 Mahboula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mahboula is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Mahboula earns 93% 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $731 in Mahboula. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mahboula – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,237 in Mahboula – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,237 in Mahboula versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mahboula but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Mahboula the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mahboula is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Mahboula 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 Mahboula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.