Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Shibin Al Kawm Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Shibin Al Kawm

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $464 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $757 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,050 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 171% more than Shibin Al Kawm, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Shibin Al Kawm are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Shibin Al Kawm 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$3.65 E£186

228.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$15.90 E£811

162.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.71 E£241

128.24%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.49 E£76.2

134.90%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.31 E£16.01

367.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.10 E£5.17

780.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.17 E£59.6

152.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.02 E£154

49.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.82 E£41.73

74.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.79 E£40.18

132.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.66 E£33.90

137.88%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.39 E£71.2

80.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$4.00 E£204

107.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.34 E£222

94.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$9.75 E£498

9.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.49 E£76.1

75.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.55 E£27.92

161.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.42 E£21.62

366.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.39 E£20.02

435.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.40 E£20.64

362.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.41 E£20.81

429.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.24 E£12.28

329.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.19 E£9.78

463.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.97 E£100

108.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$5.95 E£304

70.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.41 E£71.8

19.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.64 E£135

-4.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.19 E£9.86

168.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.55 E£28.18

487.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.42 E£21.54

473.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.00 E£102

61.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.33 E£16.89

300.00%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$34.9K E£1.8M

-14.80%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$33.3K E£1.7M

-28.90%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$11.16 E£570

634.86%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$5.62 E£287

308.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$9.96 E£508

202.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$22.26 E£1,136

133.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$3.00 E£153

66.00%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$87.4 E£4,460

125.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$1,876 E£95.8K

184.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$27.05 E£1,381

31.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$49.27 E£2,515

-18.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$108 E£5,527

-27.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$51.1 E£2,608

74.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$189 E£9,659

400.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$99.3 E£5,070

377.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$315 E£16.1K

422.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$179 E£9,156

574.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$696 E£35.5K

482.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$425 E£21.7K

1422.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-32.82%

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 Shibin Al Kawm: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $189 in Shibin Al Kawm. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in Shibin Al Kawm. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $131 – making Shibin Al Kawm 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 Shibin Al Kawm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 171%, 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 $696 in Shibin Al Kawm. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shibin Al Kawm, 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 $464 in Shibin Al Kawm. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $87.4 in Shibin Al Kawm. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Shibin Al Kawm, where all-in costs run around $464, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Shibin Al Kawm it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shibin Al Kawm – 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 Shibin Al Kawm. 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.