Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Riffa

For one person, living costs are similar in Playa del Carmen and in Riffa: $1,204 and $1,211 a month, rent and utilities included.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Riffa
Learn more

Riffa Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Riffa

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,211

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Riffa

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 Riffa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,211 in Riffa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Riffa $1,211

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,868 in Riffa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Riffa $1,868

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,525 in Riffa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Riffa $2,525

Playa del Carmen and Riffa have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Playa del Carmen and Riffa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Riffa 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$5.32 BHD 2.01

105.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$40.15 BHD 15.14

8.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

$5.85 BHD 2.21

101.37%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$3.93 BHD 1.48

-3.05%

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

$1.28 MX$23.89

$0.63 BHD 0.24

103.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.58

$0.26 BHD 0.10

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$6.71 BHD 2.53

-52.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.9

$7.96 BHD 3.00

-38.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.20

$1.40 BHD 0.53

0.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.30

$0.67 BHD 0.25

231.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.40

$1.84 BHD 0.69

-22.83%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.00

$2.22 BHD 0.84

13.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$8.16 BHD 3.08

-11.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$6.00 BHD 2.26

28.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$8.54 BHD 3.22

48.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$2.27 BHD 0.86

22.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.49

$1.77 BHD 0.67

-22.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.52

$1.83 BHD 0.69

39.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.55

$1.07 BHD 0.40

98.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.11

$1.06 BHD 0.40

83.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.13

$0.63 BHD 0.24

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.36

$0.51 BHD 0.19

125.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.96

$0.50 BHD 0.19

136.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.0

$5.33 BHD 2.01

-19.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$13.15 BHD 4.96

-24.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.50

$1.87 BHD 0.71

-15.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.76

$2.69 BHD 1.02

-0.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.76 BHD 0.29

-27.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$35.33 BHD 13.33

-24.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$5.29 BHD 2.00

-6.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$3.53 BHD 1.33

-5.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$10.70 BHD 4.04

-49.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.90

$0.50 BHD 0.19

188.00%

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

$20.7K MX$385.0K

$22.8K BHD 8,595

-9.31%

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

$23.5K MX$437.2K

$19.4K BHD 7,316

20.98%

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

$84.8 MX$1,580

$133 BHD 49.99

-36.02%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$24.38 BHD 9.20

-3.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$35.65 BHD 13.45

-19.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$73.5 BHD 27.73

-22.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$13.07 BHD 4.93

121.19%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.7

$10.59 BHD 3.99

-51.46%

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

$207 MX$3,848

$633 BHD 239

-67.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$5,805 BHD 2,190

-32.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$29.31 BHD 11.05

47.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$21.27 BHD 8.02

94.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,382

$67.3 BHD 25.38

10.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,663

$39.08 BHD 14.74

128.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

$919 BHD 347

6.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,095

$426 BHD 161

-10.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$1,524 BHD 575

12.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$850 BHD 321

26.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$1,411 BHD 532

-47.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.5

108.18%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Riffa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Riffa

$426 35.2% 11.8% $45

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Riffa

$205 17% 19.4% $50

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Riffa

$160 13.3% 20.8% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Riffa

$193 15.9% 40.7% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Riffa

$71 5.8% 36.8% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Riffa

$95 7.8% 40.6% $27

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Riffa

$61 5.1% 21.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $919 in Riffa. 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 92% higher in Riffa. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $40 in Riffa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $205 – making Riffa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇭 Riffa

🕒 Local time

20:27 8:27 PM

04:27 4:27 AM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

121,566

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.42 BHD (1 BHD = 2.38 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Riffa 13,090 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Riffa

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 Riffa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,816 in Riffa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $980 in Playa del Carmen and $919 in Riffa. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Riffa – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $633 in Riffa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,211 in Riffa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,211 in Riffa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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