Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Masjed Soleyman

For one person, living is cheaper in Masjed Soleyman: $568 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Masjed Soleyman
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Masjed Soleyman Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Masjed Soleyman

🇮🇷 Iran

$568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Masjed Soleyman

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $568 in Masjed Soleyman.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Masjed Soleyman $568

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $876 in Masjed Soleyman.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Masjed Soleyman $876

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,183 in Masjed Soleyman.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Masjed Soleyman $1,183

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 112% more expensive than in Masjed Soleyman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Masjed Soleyman 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$2.76 $2.76

295.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$15.34 $15.34

182.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$4.06 $4.06

190.15%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.63 $0.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 $0.93

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$1.27 $1.27

200.00%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$0.43 $0.43

197.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$1.14 $1.14

-31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$0.58 $0.58

143.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$0.57 $0.57

289.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$2.21 $2.21

-35.75%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$1.14 $1.14

121.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$4.30 $4.30

68.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$3.70 $3.70

108.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$10.10 $10.10

25.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$1.09 $1.09

155.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$1.78 $1.78

-23.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$0.92 $0.92

177.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$0.63 $0.63

236.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$0.55 $0.55

252.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$0.47 $0.47

302.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$0.56 $0.56

105.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$0.26 $0.26

353.85%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.76 $0.76

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$2.83 $2.83

51.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.13 $0.13

323.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$10.08 $10.08

164.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$0.44 $0.44

1029.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$0.31 $0.31

974.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$2.42 $2.42

121.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$0.08 $0.08

1700.00%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$55.5K $55.5K

-62.78%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$47.4K $47.4K

-50.47%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$11.22 $11.22

655.70%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$1.54 $1.54

1420.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$4.26 $4.26

572.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$20.28 $20.28

181.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$11.46 $11.46

152.27%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$1.76 $1.76

192.05%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$98.1 $98.1

110.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$2,172 $2,172

80.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$25.45 $25.45

70.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$28.80 $28.80

43.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$95.3 $95.3

-22.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$80.6 $80.6

10.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$248 $248

294.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$238 $238

59.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$788 $788

116.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$376 $376

186.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$1,276 $1,276

209.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$550 $550

1019.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Masjed Soleyman: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Masjed Soleyman

$238 41.9% 37.5% $143

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Masjed Soleyman

$118 20.7% 53.9% $137

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Masjed Soleyman

$56 9.8% 72.5% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Masjed Soleyman

$17 3% 87.6% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Masjed Soleyman

$104 18.2% 7.3% $8.1

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Masjed Soleyman

$24 4.2% 64.7% $44

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Masjed Soleyman

$13 2.2% 75% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $248 in Masjed Soleyman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $15 in Masjed Soleyman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $118 per month, with Masjed Soleyman cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇷 Masjed Soleyman

🕒 Local time

00:26 12:26 AM

08:56 8:56 AM

8 h 30 min ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

100,497

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Playa del Carmen Masjed Soleyman 12,550 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

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Playa del Carmen
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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 Masjed Soleyman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Masjed Soleyman wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Masjed Soleyman the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $853 in Masjed Soleyman to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $248 in Masjed Soleyman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $98 in Masjed Soleyman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 117% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $568 in Masjed Soleyman versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $800 budget is realistic in Masjed Soleyman but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Masjed Soleyman the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Masjed Soleyman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.