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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,770 in Mussaffah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,634 in Mussaffah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,498 in Mussaffah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 28% cheaper than Mussaffah, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Playa del Carmen sits 5% below the global median, while Mussaffah is 32% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$6.93 AED 25.44

71.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$33.11 AED 122

29.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$9.51 AED 34.94

11.99%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$4.91 AED 18.04

-29.74%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.01 AED 3.72

48.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.35 AED 1.27

171.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$9.57 AED 35.14

-68.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$9.42 AED 34.61

-51.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.86 AED 6.83

-25.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.19 AED 4.38

55.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.00 AED 7.34

-19.50%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.85 AED 10.48

-9.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.24 AED 37.62

-19.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.76 AED 24.83

23.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.83 AED 32.45

20.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.83 AED 6.74

43.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.54 AED 5.64

-3.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.47 AED 5.41

30.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.17 AED 4.28

78.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.00 AED 3.69

86.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.19 AED 4.36

89.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.52 AED 5.58

-30.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.63 AED 2.30

73.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$6.24 AED 22.94

-33.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$13.44 AED 49.36

-22.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.88 AED 6.89

-8.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.24 AED 8.23

16.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.61 AED 5.92

-66.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$53.0 AED 195

-49.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.26 AED 11.97

-3.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.53 AED 1.94

373.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.01 AED 18.42

-37.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.75 AED 2.77

69.33%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$44.7K AED 164.1K

-32.01%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$22.4K AED 82.1K

5.44%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$143 AED 524

-41.84%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$65.0 AED 239

-65.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$103 AED 378

-71.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$65.5 AED 241

-22.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$38.84 AED 143

-52.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$12.71 AED 46.68

-61.21%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$631 AED 2,316

-68.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$6,759 AED 24.8K

-21.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$52.5 AED 193

-29.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$56.7 AED 208

-29.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$90.9 AED 334

-12.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$81.4 AED 299

9.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$736 AED 2,704

29.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$770 AED 2,828

-38.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$2,466 AED 9,056

-33.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$1,387 AED 5,095

-11.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$4,899 AED 18.0K

-20.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$2,304 AED 8,464

180.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$2,971 AED 10.9K

-77.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.75

140.42%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mussaffah: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $736 in Mussaffah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 345% higher in Mussaffah, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $33.00 in Mussaffah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $231 – making Mussaffah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Mussaffah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mussaffah is pricier by about 39%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,654 in Mussaffah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $631 in Mussaffah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Mussaffah – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,271, than in Mussaffah at $1,770. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mussaffah it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mussaffah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.