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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,020 in Sanaa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,621 in Sanaa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,223 in Sanaa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 24% more than Sanaa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sanaa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Sanaa 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$6.33 YER 1,495

83.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$24.97 YER 5,899

88.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$9.53 YER 2,252

24.66%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 YER 468

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 YER 604

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$3.80 YER 898

4.74%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.18 YER 279

21.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.63 YER 150

30.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$2.09 YER 493

-19.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.66 YER 391

32.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.98 YER 469

-13.64%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$3.70 YER 875

-25.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$17.00 YER 4,018

-43.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$8.11 YER 1,917

11.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$19.13 YER 4,520

-33.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$3.26 YER 771

-11.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.01 YER 239

48.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$2.26 YER 533

-4.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$1.69 YER 398

33.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$1.53 YER 362

29.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$1.38 YER 326

44.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.21 YER 286

1.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.68 YER 160

76.47%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.46 YER 817

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 YER 440

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 YER 776

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$5.60 YER 1,322

-18.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.44 YER 103

36.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$86.0 YER 20.3K

-66.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$4.26 YER 1,006

26.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$2.17 YER 513

71.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$7.41 YER 1,751

-22.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$2.11 YER 499

-27.01%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$16.7K YER 4.0M

34.75%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$34.6K YER 8.2M

-24.69%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$108 YER 25.6K

-15.76%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$23.71 YER 5,603

6.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$101 YER 23.9K

-69.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$67.5 YER 15.9K

-0.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$16.01 YER 3,782

81.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$5.84 YER 1,380

-16.78%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$118 YER 27.8K

90.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$2,184 YER 515.9K

93.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$41.56 YER 9,820

13.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$121 YER 28.7K

-63.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$48.05 YER 11.4K

66.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$41.45 YER 9,795

123.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$225 YER 53.1K

372.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$95.8 YER 22.6K

307.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$401 YER 94.7K

436.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$270 YER 63.8K

370.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$4,166 YER 984.4K

-3.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$817 YER 193.0K

696.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$197 YER 46.5K

284.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.25

1.78%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Sanaa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $225 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 285% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $25.00 in Sanaa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $269 – 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 24%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,530 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $1,020 in Sanaa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 198% 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 $1,020, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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.