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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $728 per month in Umm As-summaq vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,377 per month in Umm As-summaq vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,027 per month in Umm As-summaq vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Umm As-summaq is about 43% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Umm As-summaq and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Umm As-summaq 46% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.50 JOD 4.61

$11.94 MX$208

-45.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 JOD 35.54

$42.75 MX$744

17.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 JOD 3.46

$10.59 MX$184

-53.92%

Cappuccino

$4.15 JOD 2.94

$3.62 MX$63.0

14.64%

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

$0.48 JOD 0.34

$1.47 MX$25.54

-67.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 JOD 0.24

$0.94 MX$16.41

-63.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 JOD 4.06

$3.09 MX$53.8

85.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 JOD 5.02

$4.46 MX$77.6

58.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 JOD 0.93

$1.43 MX$24.80

-8.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.33 JOD 0.24

$1.88 MX$32.79

-82.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 JOD 0.98

$1.63 MX$28.34

-14.72%

Eggs

$2.48 JOD 1.76

$2.64 MX$45.99

-6.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.80 JOD 1.99

$8.21 MX$143

-65.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 JOD 4.63

$8.29 MX$144

-21.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 JOD 8.07

$11.10 MX$193

2.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 JOD 1.02

$2.65 MX$46.14

-46.04%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 JOD 0.52

$1.50 MX$26.11

-51.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 JOD 1.01

$1.99 MX$34.59

-28.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.29 JOD 0.21

$2.08 MX$36.13

-86.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 JOD 0.24

$1.79 MX$31.11

-81.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.29 JOD 0.21

$2.18 MX$37.87

-86.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 JOD 0.46

$1.08 MX$18.73

-40.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 JOD 0.44

$1.04 MX$18.04

-39.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.63 JOD 2.58

$3.97 MX$69.1

-8.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.02 JOD 12.06

$10.20 MX$178

66.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.85 JOD 3.44

$1.73 MX$30.04

180.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 JOD 3.92

$2.50 MX$43.46

121.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 JOD 0.50

$0.52 MX$9.02

34.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 JOD 0.53

$3.14 MX$54.7

-76.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 JOD 0.19

$2.40 MX$41.80

-88.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.18 JOD 5.09

$3.09 MX$53.7

132.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 JOD 1.01

$1.27 MX$22.16

12.60%

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

$26.6K JOD 18.9K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

-13.75%

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

$32.0K JOD 22.7K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

37.05%

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

$106 JOD 75.4

$82.0 MX$1,427

29.73%

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

$16.91 JOD 11.99

$22.45 MX$391

-24.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.03 JOD 22.71

$29.66 MX$516

7.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.99 JOD 29.06

$51.9 MX$903

-20.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 JOD 24.75

$18.67 MX$325

86.98%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 JOD 7.89

$4.97 MX$86.5

123.94%

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

$270 JOD 192

$198 MX$3,442

36.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,373 JOD 3,809

$5,273 MX$91.7K

1.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 JOD 43.83

$36.34 MX$632

70.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.2 JOD 40.56

$40.05 MX$697

42.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 JOD 82.2

$79.9 MX$1,390

45.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 JOD 58.1

$88.9 MX$1,547

-7.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 JOD 272

$963 MX$16.8K

-60.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$457 JOD 324

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-71.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 JOD 248

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-71.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,666 JOD 1,181

$3,942 MX$68.6K

-57.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$733 JOD 520

$720 MX$12.5K

1.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.42

-41.59%

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

Last update for Umm As-summaq: April 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $383 in Umm As-summaq versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. 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 2% higher in Umm As-summaq, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Umm As-summaq versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $207 in Umm As-summaq vs $251 in Playa del Carmen – 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

Umm As-summaq vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 77%, 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 $1,091 per month in Umm As-summaq and $1,930 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Umm As-summaq, 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 $728 in Umm As-summaq and $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $270 per month in Umm As-summaq and $198 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $728, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.