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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $816 in Mohammedia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,384 in Mohammedia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,952 in Mohammedia.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 55% more expensive than in Mohammedia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Mohammedia 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$4.35 MAD 40.59

169.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$29.74 MAD 277

40.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.31 MAD 68.2

43.78%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.89 MAD 17.59

89.95%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.71 MAD 6.64

112.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.38 MAD 3.54

142.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$3.90 MAD 36.35

-24.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$4.51 MAD 42.05

-2.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$0.99 MAD 9.20

41.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.87 MAD 8.07

116.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.01 MAD 18.72

-22.39%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.19 MAD 20.42

19.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$11.44 MAD 107

-27.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$7.13 MAD 66.5

17.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$11.77 MAD 110

-7.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.56 MAD 14.57

73.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.43 MAD 13.33

5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$0.78 MAD 7.30

139.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.83 MAD 7.70

163.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.72 MAD 6.72

158.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.75 MAD 7.02

197.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.50 MAD 4.68

114.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.61 MAD 5.73

78.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$4.41 MAD 41.07

-4.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$8.53 MAD 79.5

22.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.90 MAD 27.06

-42.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$3.31 MAD 30.82

-21.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.67 MAD 6.29

-19.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$16.68 MAD 156

56.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.80 MAD 7.50

285.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.58 MAD 5.40

313.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$5.42 MAD 50.6

-42.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.54 MAD 14.36

-14.94%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$37.2K MAD 346.6K

-19.82%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$26.8K MAD 250.3K

-13.12%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$50.5 MAD 471

61.08%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$11.14 MAD 104

102.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$40.26 MAD 375

-25.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$26.91 MAD 251

96.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$23.36 MAD 218

-21.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$8.83 MAD 82.4

-44.28%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$154 MAD 1,435

30.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$5,487 MAD 51.2K

-5.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$52.0 MAD 485

-30.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$53.0 MAD 494

-24.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$111 MAD 1,032

-28.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$88.5 MAD 825

-2.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$272 MAD 2,533

260.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$172 MAD 1,600

174.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$512 MAD 4,773

222.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$511 MAD 4,769

135.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,637 MAD 15.3K

141.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,030 MAD 9,599

541.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$577 MAD 5,384

17.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.35

162.53%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mohammedia: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $272 in Mohammedia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 17% 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 $30.00 in Mohammedia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $215 per month, with Mohammedia 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 Mohammedia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Mohammedia differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $816 including rent). Mohammedia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 17% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $272 in Mohammedia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mohammedia – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $816 in Mohammedia versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mohammedia but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Mohammedia 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Mohammedia 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 Mohammedia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.