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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $449 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $728 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,007 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 181% 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 5% lower, Shubra Al Khaymah 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$3.53 E£178

232.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$16.09 E£810

160.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$4.73 E£238

122.20%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.48 E£74.7

142.57%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.29 E£14.53

420.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.12 E£6.14

666.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.20 E£60.5

146.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.78 E£140

58.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$0.79 E£39.82

77.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.62 E£31.23

203.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$0.66 E£33.13

136.36%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.45 E£73.1

80.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$3.33 E£168

149.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$4.32 E£217

93.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$8.46 E£426

28.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.41 E£70.8

92.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$0.55 E£27.54

174.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$0.40 E£20.03

367.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.37 E£18.42

491.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.40 E£20.24

365.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.41 E£20.60

443.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.24 E£12.09

345.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.20 E£9.90

445.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$1.96 E£98.6

113.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$5.75 E£289

81.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.24 E£62.2

33.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.77 E£89.2

47.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.16 E£8.24

237.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.39 E£19.53

689.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.29 E£14.49

727.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$1.03 E£51.7

203.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.33 E£16.70

296.97%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$35.9K E£1.8M

-16.92%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$30.8K E£1.6M

-24.37%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$11.28 E£567

620.57%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$5.76 E£290

291.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$9.86 E£496

204.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$22.17 E£1,115

138.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$2.98 E£150

65.10%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$90.3 E£4,543

122.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$1,864 E£93.8K

177.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$27.73 E£1,395

29.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$43.99 E£2,213

-8.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$105 E£5,300

-24.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$49.76 E£2,503

73.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$190 E£9,570

414.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$100.0 E£5,029

370.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$312 E£15.7K

428.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$177 E£8,890

580.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$798 E£40.2K

395.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$388 E£19.5K

1602.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

16.67

-31.49%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Shubra Al Khaymah: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $190 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in Shubra Al Khaymah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $120 – 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 181%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $673 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $449 in Shubra Al Khaymah. 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 $90.3 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 $449, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.