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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $914 in Sanaa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,460 in Sanaa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,006 in Sanaa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 37% more than Sanaa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sanaa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Sanaa 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$6.33 YER 1,499

89.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$22.96 YER 5,433

81.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$10.47 YER 2,479

2.67%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 YER 417

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 YER 431

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.69 YER 873

-5.15%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.16 YER 274

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.47 YER 111

87.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.88 YER 446

-23.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.22 YER 289

50.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$2.48 YER 588

-36.69%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$4.03 YER 953

-37.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$9.87 YER 2,337

-16.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.69 YER 1,582

26.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$18.58 YER 4,397

-42.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$3.85 YER 912

-32.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.39 YER 329

3.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.39 YER 566

-17.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.64 YER 389

27.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.79 YER 424

3.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.62 YER 384

33.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.63 YER 149

63.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.73 YER 172

46.58%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.38 YER 800

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 YER 395

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 YER 775

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$4.05 YER 958

1.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.42 YER 101

21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$81.8 YER 19.4K

-68.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$4.15 YER 982

-22.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$4.03 YER 953

-40.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$7.02 YER 1,661

-53.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$2.74 YER 648

-51.82%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$16.7K YER 3.9M

78.16%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$33.9K YER 8.0M

-30.22%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$71.5 YER 16.9K

14.73%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$13.56 YER 3,209

69.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$38.21 YER 9,042

-21.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$67.4 YER 16.0K

-22.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$16.43 YER 3,889

12.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$5.89 YER 1,394

-15.45%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$112 YER 26.6K

75.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$1,809 YER 428.2K

194.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$39.44 YER 9,336

-9.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$147 YER 34.8K

-72.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$40.85 YER 9,668

92.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$41.77 YER 9,885

112.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$166 YER 39.4K

469.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$95.4 YER 22.6K

397.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$403 YER 95.4K

307.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$261 YER 61.7K

364.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$4,070 YER 963.3K

-0.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$808 YER 191.1K

701.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$190 YER 45.0K

243.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.25

1.51%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Sanaa: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $166 in Sanaa. 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 244% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $23.00 in Sanaa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $241 – making Sanaa 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 Sanaa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 37%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,371 in Sanaa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $914 in Sanaa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 214% less in Sanaa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sanaa, where all-in costs run around $914, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Sanaa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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