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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $476 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $755 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,033 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 172% 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 3% lower, Shibin Al Kawm 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.50 E£182

235.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$16.08 E£835

158.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.77 E£248

123.06%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$1.45 E£75.1

142.76%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.31 E£16.28

387.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.11 E£5.95

781.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.22 E£63.3

141.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$2.92 E£152

52.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$0.80 E£41.42

72.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.74 E£38.57

155.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.65 E£33.79

152.31%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.38 E£71.6

81.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$3.83 E£199

117.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$4.41 E£229

89.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$9.39 E£487

14.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.49 E£77.1

74.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$0.59 E£30.38

147.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$0.40 E£20.51

375.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$0.39 E£20.40

433.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$0.41 E£21.22

334.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$0.44 E£22.60

397.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.22 E£11.37

372.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.20 E£10.19

440.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$1.93 E£100

111.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$5.71 E£296

80.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.36 E£70.8

25.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.59 E£135

-0.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.17 E£8.78

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$0.52 E£27.07

526.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.42 E£22.03

492.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$2.01 E£105

61.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$0.31 E£15.93

322.58%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$35.4K E£1.8M

-14.53%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$33.5K E£1.7M

-29.98%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$11.49 E£596

621.24%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$5.60 E£291

296.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$10.19 E£529

187.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$22.57 E£1,172

128.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$3.02 E£157

67.88%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$90.0 E£4,673

123.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$1,855 E£96.3K

180.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$27.26 E£1,415

35.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$49.49 E£2,568

-19.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$108 E£5,619

-27.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$49.82 E£2,586

74.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$191 E£9,912

409.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$101 E£5,216

365.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$303 E£15.7K

441.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$175 E£9,074

598.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$674 E£35.0K

485.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$410 E£21.3K

1485.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Shibin Al Kawm: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $191 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 $128 – 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 172%, 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 $714 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $476 in Shibin Al Kawm. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $90.0 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 $476, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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.