Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mazar-i-Sharif

For one person, living is cheaper in Mazar-i-Sharif: $292 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Mazar-i-Sharif
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Mazar-i-Sharif Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Mazar-i-Sharif

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$292

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Mazar-i-Sharif

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 Mazar-i-Sharif actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $292 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Mazar-i-Sharif $292

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $461 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Mazar-i-Sharif $461

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $630 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Mazar-i-Sharif $630

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 312% more expensive than in Mazar-i-Sharif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Mazar-i-Sharif 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$2.38 ؋154

356.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$15.47 ؋1,003

185.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$4.01 ؋260

193.27%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.54 ؋489

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.50 ؋486

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$1.23 ؋79.8

199.19%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$0.57 ؋36.96

135.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.30 ؋19.28

173.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$0.65 ؋42.20

126.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$0.15 ؋9.99

1380.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$2.10 ؋136

-29.52%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$1.65 ؋107

50.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$7.49 ؋486

0.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$3.30 ؋214

141.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$6.09 ؋395

106.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$0.59 ؋38.30

371.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.13 ؋73.5

26.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$0.82 ؋53.2

219.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$0.61 ؋39.27

250.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$0.47 ؋30.46

329.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$0.38 ؋24.88

423.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$0.56 ؋36.54

103.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.32 ؋20.97

275.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.86 ؋121

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$1.57 ؋102

171.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$0.81 ؋52.2

-34.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$1.52 ؋98.7

253.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.53 ؋99.4

-5.23%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$9,927 ؋643.5K

113.13%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$83.3 ؋5,399

2.50%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$16.98 ؋1,101

38.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$11.53 ؋747

439.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$3.87 ؋251

641.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$4.68 ؋304

8.97%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$76.6 ؋4,967

162.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$12.93 ؋838

243.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$18.48 ؋1,198

384.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$235 ؋15.2K

213.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Mazar-i-Sharif: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Mazar-i-Sharif

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$105 35.8% 59.5% $154

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$49 16.9% 75.4% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$100 * 34.3% 26.9% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$14 * 4.8% 87.3% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$21 7.2% 71.1% $52

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$3.2 * 1.1% 93.8% $48

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Playa del Carmen pays 214% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $44.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $15.00 in Mazar-i-Sharif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $105 per month, with Mazar-i-Sharif cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇦🇫 Mazar-i-Sharif

🕒 Local time

04:13 4:13 AM

13:43 1:43 PM

9 h 30 min ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

300,600

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AFN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 64.83 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.88 AFN (100 AFN = 1.37 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Mazar-i-Sharif 13,090 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Mazar-i-Sharif

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 Mazar-i-Sharif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mazar-i-Sharif is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 312% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 214% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 147% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $292 in Mazar-i-Sharif – a 312% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $292 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mazar-i-Sharif but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Mazar-i-Sharif the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mazar-i-Sharif 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.

Expats usually find Mazar-i-Sharif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 312% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.