Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Umm As-summaq Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Umm As-summaq

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $733 in Umm As-summaq, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,270 in Umm As-summaq, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,806 in Umm As-summaq, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 73% more than Umm As-summaq, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and Umm As-summaq are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Umm As-summaq 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$7.17 JOD 5.07

61.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$66.7 JOD 47.18

-29.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$7.14 JOD 5.05

66.39%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.74 JOD 1.94

45.26%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$0.60 JOD 0.43

138.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.60 JOD 0.42

36.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$6.88 JOD 4.87

-53.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$8.61 JOD 6.09

-21.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.44 JOD 1.02

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.67 JOD 0.48

228.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.39 JOD 0.98

23.02%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.24 JOD 1.58

22.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$9.14 JOD 6.47

4.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$2.76 JOD 1.95

226.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$12.89 JOD 9.12

-0.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.42 JOD 1.71

19.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.00 JOD 1.42

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.88 JOD 1.33

14.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$0.86 JOD 0.61

162.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.93 JOD 0.66

112.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.83 JOD 0.59

139.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.65 JOD 0.46

89.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.61 JOD 0.43

96.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$2.87 JOD 2.03

58.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$16.79 JOD 11.88

-38.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$4.15 JOD 2.93

-60.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$4.16 JOD 2.95

-30.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$0.61 JOD 0.43

783.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$1.43 JOD 1.02

160.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$7.08 JOD 5.01

-18.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.61 JOD 1.14

-4.35%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$35.3K JOD 25.0K

-36.06%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$34.2K JOD 24.2K

-23.89%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$53.5 JOD 37.88

70.74%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$15.44 JOD 10.92

63.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$32.25 JOD 22.83

-3.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$56.4 JOD 39.94

19.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$49.88 JOD 35.30

-41.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$11.49 JOD 8.13

-57.70%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$353 JOD 250

-36.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$5,679 JOD 4,019

-25.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$57.1 JOD 40.44

-17.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$63.7 JOD 45.04

-30.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$128 JOD 90.3

-37.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$87.3 JOD 61.8

6.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$787 JOD 557

173.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$1,707 JOD 1,208

134.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.81

68.14%

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 Umm As-summaq: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $67.0 in Umm As-summaq. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Playa del Carmen vs $229 in Umm As-summaq – so Umm As-summaq wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Umm As-summaq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 73%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. 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 $1,100 in Umm As-summaq. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $733 in Umm As-summaq. 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 $353 in Umm As-summaq. 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 Umm As-summaq, where all-in costs run around $733, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Umm As-summaq it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Umm As-summaq – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Umm As-summaq. 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.