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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $430 in Nawabshah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $631 in Nawabshah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $832 in Nawabshah.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 202% more expensive than Nawabshah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Nawabshah 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$2.14 PKR 594

448.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$728

$12.49 PKR 3,476

233.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$3.99 PKR 1,111

166.67%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 PKR 556

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.20 PKR 1,447

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.6

$1.84 PKR 512

91.30%

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

$1.51 MX$26.42

$0.36 PKR 100

319.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.03

$0.21 PKR 58.4

361.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.20

$0.73 PKR 202

89.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.10

$0.31 PKR 85.1

509.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.65

$1.17 PKR 324

40.17%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.84

$1.02 PKR 283

146.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$6.52 PKR 1,814

27.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$2.19 PKR 608

280.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$188

$3.69 PKR 1,026

190.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.56

$1.08 PKR 301

140.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.50

$0.43 PKR 120

239.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.26

$0.69 PKR 191

175.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.28 PKR 78.8

642.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.07

$0.28 PKR 78.5

535.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.23

$0.51 PKR 143

329.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.20

$0.38 PKR 107

173.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.40 PKR 112

170.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.23 PKR 343

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 PKR 366

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 PKR 594

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.4

$1.66 PKR 461

145.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$181

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.96

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.06

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.92

$0.18 PKR 50.7

183.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$463

$7.28 PKR 2,025

263.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.1

$0.74 PKR 206

340.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.59

$0.67 PKR 187

271.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.8

$1.82 PKR 506

78.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$0.93 PKR 259

40.86%

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

$30.3K MX$529.8K

$16.4K PKR 4.6M

85.00%

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

$23.4K MX$410.0K

$25.0K PKR 7.0M

-6.36%

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

$82.9 MX$1,450

$132 PKR 36.8K

-37.38%

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

$22.22 MX$389

$4.89 PKR 1,360

354.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$513

$13.65 PKR 3,797

114.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$903

$12.35 PKR 3,438

318.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$321

$5.78 PKR 1,609

216.96%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.6

$4.16 PKR 1,158

21.88%

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

$201 MX$3,514

$57.0 PKR 15.9K

252.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.2K

$1,377 PKR 383.1K

278.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$646

$17.82 PKR 4,958

107.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$696

$25.09 PKR 6,982

58.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,373

$65.7 PKR 18.3K

19.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,524

$35.56 PKR 9,895

144.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$73.9 PKR 20.6K

1216.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,184

$52.1 PKR 14.5K

798.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$164 PKR 45.7K

898.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.4K

$106 PKR 29.6K

1047.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$69.0K

$1,008 PKR 280.4K

291.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.7K

$530 PKR 147.3K

1127.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

$128 PKR 35.6K

418.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

17.8

-35.84%

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 Nawabshah: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $73.9 in Nawabshah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 419% 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 $12.00 in Nawabshah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $81.0 per month, with Nawabshah 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 Nawabshah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nawabshah wins on cost – living expenses run 202% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nawabshah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Playa del Carmen pays 419% 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 $73.9 in Nawabshah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 208% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nawabshah – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $430 in Nawabshah versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nawabshah but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Nawabshah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nawabshah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $430 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nawabshah hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Nawabshah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 202% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.