Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Shubra Al Khaymah Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Shubra Al Khaymah

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $448 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $735 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,022 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 183% more than Shubra Al Khaymah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Shubra Al Khaymah are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Shubra Al Khaymah 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.27 E£222

171.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$16.21 E£846

190.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$4.82 E£251

146.47%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.30 E£67.8

206.15%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.31 E£16.12

361.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.12 E£6.02

583.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.38 E£71.9

131.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.27 E£119

199.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$0.89 E£46.64

88.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.71 E£36.83

209.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$0.61 E£31.92

180.33%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.16 E£60.4

136.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$3.76 E£196

154.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.41 E£230

104.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$9.02 E£471

42.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.54 E£80.3

87.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.73 E£38.19

105.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$0.58 E£30.05

270.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$0.37 E£19.32

510.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.25 E£12.91

692.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.33 E£17.32

503.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.27 E£14.05

355.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.23 E£11.93

421.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$1.91 E£99.5

138.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$5.67 E£296

82.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.21 E£63.3

33.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.08 E£109

38.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.21 E£10.91

185.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.41 E£21.33

1214.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.19 E£9.82

1863.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$1.51 E£78.7

282.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.45 E£23.65

242.22%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$32.4K E£1.7M

-30.38%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$28.3K E£1.5M

-7.89%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$13.91 E£725

556.94%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$7.06 E£368

256.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$13.56 E£707

130.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$17.99 E£938

273.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$2.84 E£148

71.13%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$84.2 E£4,391

165.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$2,114 E£110.2K

100.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$32.30 E£1,684

45.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$44.40 E£2,315

-0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$117 E£6,099

-31.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$53.6 E£2,793

73.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$131 E£6,810

713.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$85.0 E£4,432

359.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$254 E£13.2K

746.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$155 E£8,067

722.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$742 E£38.7K

439.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$474 E£24.7K

1271.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

16.21

-29.36%

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 Shubra Al Khaymah: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $131 in Shubra Al Khaymah. 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in Shubra Al Khaymah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $127 – making Shubra Al Khaymah 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 Shubra Al Khaymah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 183%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. 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 $672 in Shubra Al Khaymah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shubra Al Khaymah, 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 $448 in Shubra Al Khaymah. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $84.2 in Shubra Al Khaymah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Shubra Al Khaymah, where all-in costs run around $448, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Shubra Al Khaymah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shubra Al Khaymah – 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 Shubra Al Khaymah. 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.