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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $447 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $728 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,008 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 184% 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 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.53 E£180

236.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$16.03 E£819

167.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.71 E£240

126.11%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.49 E£76.1

131.54%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.31 E£16.01

383.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.13 E£6.45

630.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.16 E£59.3

161.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.71 E£139

70.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.84 E£42.92

64.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.62 E£31.88

198.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.69 E£35.30

133.33%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.41 E£71.8

83.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$3.31 E£169

149.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.15 E£212

101.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.40 E£429

26.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.43 E£73.1

83.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.55 E£28.07

170.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.40 E£20.29

380.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.40 E£20.20

422.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.40 E£20.56

365.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.40 E£20.46

465.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.24 E£12.32

341.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.21 E£10.53

419.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.01 E£103

106.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.70 E£291

82.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.23 E£62.9

39.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.78 E£91.0

46.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.16 E£8.07

237.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.38 E£19.52

723.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.29 E£14.63

765.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$1.00 E£51.1

215.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.33 E£17.00

284.85%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$35.9K E£1.8M

-15.48%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$30.2K E£1.5M

-22.03%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$11.11 E£567

647.07%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$5.58 E£285

306.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$9.90 E£506

197.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$22.06 E£1,126

131.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.01 E£154

63.79%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$88.9 E£4,540

121.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$1,828 E£93.3K

188.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$27.61 E£1,410

33.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$44.54 E£2,275

-10.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$108 E£5,501

-25.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$50.9 E£2,597

75.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$191 E£9,738

401.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$101 E£5,137

374.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$315 E£16.1K

422.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$177 E£9,040

591.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$877 E£44.8K

346.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$381 E£19.5K

1593.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Shubra Al Khaymah: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $191 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in Shubra Al Khaymah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 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 184%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $670 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $447 in Shubra Al Khaymah. 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 $88.9 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 $447, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.