Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Wadi Musa

For one person, living is cheaper in Wadi Musa: $1,012 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Wadi Musa
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Wadi Musa Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Wadi Musa

🇯🇴 Jordan

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Wadi Musa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Wadi Musa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,012 in Wadi Musa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Wadi Musa $1,012

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,308 in Wadi Musa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Wadi Musa $1,308

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,604 in Wadi Musa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Wadi Musa $1,604

Playa del Carmen costs about 19% more than Wadi Musa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Playa del Carmen and Wadi Musa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Wadi Musa 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$6.95 JOD 4.92

57.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$813

$35.44 JOD 25.09

22.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$6.85 JOD 4.85

71.97%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.4

$2.79 JOD 1.98

36.56%

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

$1.28 MX$24.03

$0.47 JOD 0.33

172.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.67

$0.40 JOD 0.28

95.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.3

$8.70 JOD 6.16

-63.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.5

$11.04 JOD 7.82

-55.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

$1.39 JOD 0.98

1.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.54

$0.69 JOD 0.49

221.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.56

$1.44 JOD 1.02

-1.39%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.27

$2.32 JOD 1.64

8.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$9.06 JOD 6.41

-19.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$5.55 JOD 3.93

38.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$11.35 JOD 8.03

11.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.2

$1.44 JOD 1.02

93.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.64

$1.38 JOD 0.98

-0.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.80

$1.38 JOD 0.98

84.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.78

$0.73 JOD 0.52

190.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.32

$0.69 JOD 0.49

181.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.34

$0.69 JOD 0.49

173.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.49

$0.63 JOD 0.45

82.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.09

$0.44 JOD 0.31

168.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.5

$3.44 JOD 2.43

25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$186

$21.02 JOD 14.89

-52.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.67

$4.98 JOD 3.53

-68.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$5.08 JOD 3.60

-47.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.1

$0.62 JOD 0.44

701.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.4

$1.37 JOD 0.97

143.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

$7.03 JOD 4.97

-23.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.06

$1.10 JOD 0.78

30.91%

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

$20.7K MX$387.3K

$32.7K JOD 23.1K

-36.72%

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

$23.5K MX$439.7K

$34.4K JOD 24.3K

-31.73%

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

$84.8 MX$1,589

$71.8 JOD 50.8

18.11%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$4.12 JOD 2.92

468.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$537

$13.99 JOD 9.90

104.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,069

$34.62 JOD 24.51

64.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.3

$11.17 JOD 7.91

-53.98%

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

$207 MX$3,871

$557 JOD 394

-62.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.6K

$9,465 JOD 6,701

-58.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$812

$61.8 JOD 43.78

-29.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$777

$80.0 JOD 56.7

-48.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,390

$124 JOD 88.1

-40.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,672

$83.4 JOD 59.0

7.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$351 JOD 249

178.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,136

$284 JOD 201

33.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$499 JOD 354

47.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.94

64.99%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Wadi Musa: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Wadi Musa

$284 28.1% 25.4% $97

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Wadi Musa

$238 23.5% 6.6% $17

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Wadi Musa

$179 17.7% 11.7% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Wadi Musa

$90 8.9% 34.3% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Wadi Musa

$157 15.5% 40.8% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Wadi Musa

$57 5.6% 15.4% $10

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Wadi Musa

$7.5 * 0.7% 85.2% $43

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $351 in Wadi Musa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 47% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $35 in Wadi Musa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $238 – making Wadi Musa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇯🇴 Wadi Musa

🕒 Local time

14:52 2:52 PM

22:52 10:52 PM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

14,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Jordanian Dinar JOD د.ا

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

1 JOD = 1.41 USD

1 JOD = 1.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JOD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Jordanian Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.708 JOD (1 JOD = 1.41 USD). 1 EUR = 0.794 JOD (1 JOD = 1.26 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Wadi Musa 11,660 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Wadi Musa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Wadi Musa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,519 in Wadi Musa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wadi Musa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $351 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,012 in Wadi Musa. That makes Wadi Musa about 16% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $557 in Wadi Musa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,012 in Wadi Musa. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,012 in Wadi Musa to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Wadi Musa. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.