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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $652 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $827 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,001 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 99% more expensive than Mazar-i-Sharif, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Mazar-i-Sharif 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.18 ؋139

438.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$14.10 ؋895

195.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$3.28 ؋208

224.39%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 ؋229

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 ؋448

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.15 ؋73.3

206.09%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.52 ؋33.20

190.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.25 ؋15.70

288.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$0.55 ؋34.95

150.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.20 ؋12.48

845.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.56 ؋99.2

5.13%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.55 ؋98.7

61.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.11 ؋325

63.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.70 ؋235

125.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$5.26 ؋334

103.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$0.56 ؋35.62

364.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$0.94 ؋60.0

55.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$0.71 ؋45.34

167.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$0.56 ؋35.61

271.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.46 ؋29.51

286.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.36 ؋22.82

508.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.41 ؋26.05

153.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.28 ؋17.57

285.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.87 ؋118

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ؋28.54

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 ؋71.6

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$1.18 ؋75.0

245.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.48 ؋30.42

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$21.66 ؋1,375

22.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.73 ؋46.37

346.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.33 ؋84.3

87.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$1.40 ؋88.9

132.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.11 ؋70.7

18.02%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$9,996 ؋634.8K

202.92%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$41.0K ؋2.6M

-42.91%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$110 ؋7,012

-24.95%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$15.56 ؋988

42.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$290 ؋18.4K

-89.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$10.90 ؋692

373.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$3.52 ؋224

420.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$4.24 ؋269

19.58%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$28.98 ؋1,840

592.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$12.20 ؋775

202.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$17.29 ؋1,098

403.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$85.0 ؋5,396

1044.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$43.37 ؋2,754

978.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$146 ؋9,245

1027.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$70.5 ؋4,478

1631.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$242 ؋15.4K

174.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

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 Mazar-i-Sharif: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $85.0 in Mazar-i-Sharif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 174% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $14.00 in Mazar-i-Sharif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $91.0 per month, with Mazar-i-Sharif 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 Mazar-i-Sharif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mazar-i-Sharif is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 99% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 174% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $85.0 in Mazar-i-Sharif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 174% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mazar-i-Sharif – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $652 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $1,297 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 99% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.