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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $900 in Sanaa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,466 in Sanaa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,032 in Sanaa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 44% more than Sanaa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sanaa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Sanaa 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$6.11 YER 1,455

91.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$22.83 YER 5,440

82.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$10.15 YER 2,418

4.83%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 YER 432

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 YER 430

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$3.72 YER 888

-5.38%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.14 YER 273

32.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.46 YER 110

110.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.91 YER 455

-27.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.20 YER 287

57.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$2.47 YER 589

-33.60%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$4.03 YER 959

-37.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$9.86 YER 2,350

-15.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.82 YER 1,625

22.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$19.15 YER 4,563

-43.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$3.92 YER 933

-33.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.44 YER 344

1.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.41 YER 574

-21.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.64 YER 391

26.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.70 YER 405

4.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.57 YER 374

39.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.64 YER 151

62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.74 YER 176

45.95%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.28 YER 782

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 YER 394

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 YER 772

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$3.91 YER 932

4.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.42 YER 101

21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$82.1 YER 19.6K

-67.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$4.21 YER 1,004

-22.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$3.99 YER 952

-37.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$7.32 YER 1,745

-55.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$2.68 YER 640

-51.12%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$16.4K YER 3.9M

84.24%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$33.5K YER 8.0M

-30.10%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$72.3 YER 17.2K

14.57%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$13.70 YER 3,266

62.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$38.45 YER 9,163

-23.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$66.6 YER 15.9K

-22.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$16.68 YER 3,975

9.83%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$5.90 YER 1,405

-14.07%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$116 YER 27.5K

73.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$1,808 YER 430.7K

188.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$39.29 YER 9,363

-6.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$148 YER 35.2K

-73.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$41.65 YER 9,924

88.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$42.36 YER 10.1K

105.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$167 YER 39.8K

482.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$95.3 YER 22.7K

390.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$410 YER 97.8K

299.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$265 YER 63.2K

360.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$4,123 YER 982.5K

-4.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$819 YER 195.1K

693.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$191 YER 45.5K

247.46%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sanaa: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $167 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 247% 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 $244 – 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 44%, 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,350 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $900 in Sanaa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 210% 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 $900, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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.