Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Algiers and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Algiers: $585 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Algiers
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Algiers Living Index
58

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

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Algiers

🇩🇿 Algeria

$585

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Algiers and in Playa del Carmen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $585 in Algiers versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Algiers $585
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $962 in Algiers versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Algiers $962
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,339 in Algiers versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Algiers $1,339
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Algiers costs roughly 51% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Algiers 57% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.31 DZD 446

$10.92 MX$203

-69.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.66 DZD 3,721

$43.37 MX$808

-36.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.34 DZD 584

$11.78 MX$219

-63.16%

Cappuccino

$1.12 DZD 151

$3.81 MX$71.0

-70.60%

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

$0.58 DZD 78.6

$1.28 MX$23.89

-54.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 DZD 35.87

$0.78 MX$14.58

-65.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 DZD 308

$3.17 MX$59.0

-27.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 DZD 307

$4.93 MX$91.9

-53.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 DZD 112

$1.41 MX$26.20

-40.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.14 DZD 18.25

$2.22 MX$41.30

-93.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 DZD 156

$1.42 MX$26.40

-18.31%

Eggs

$1.19 DZD 160

$2.52 MX$47.00

-52.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 DZD 1,092

$7.26 MX$135

11.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.97 DZD 535

$7.70 MX$143

-48.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 DZD 1,904

$12.69 MX$236

11.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 DZD 270

$2.78 MX$51.9

-27.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 DZD 369

$1.37 MX$25.49

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 DZD 150

$2.55 MX$47.52

-56.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.90 DZD 121

$2.12 MX$39.55

-57.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 DZD 79.3

$1.94 MX$36.11

-69.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 DZD 60.3

$1.89 MX$35.13

-76.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 DZD 101

$1.15 MX$21.36

-34.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 DZD 36.68

$1.18 MX$21.96

-77.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.14 DZD 422

$4.30 MX$80.0

-26.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.87 DZD 925

$9.95 MX$185

-30.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 DZD 170

$1.58 MX$29.50

-20.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 DZD 257

$2.67 MX$49.76

-28.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 DZD 53.0

$0.55 MX$10.31

-29.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.68 DZD 899

$26.62 MX$496

-74.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.54 DZD 73.3

$4.97 MX$92.6

-89.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 DZD 58.8

$3.33 MX$62.1

-86.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 DZD 770

$5.36 MX$99.8

6.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 DZD 44.30

$1.44 MX$26.90

-77.08%

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

$35.1K DZD 4.7M

$20.7K MX$385.0K

69.71%

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

$34.6K DZD 4.7M

$23.5K MX$437.2K

47.44%

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

$43.80 DZD 5,894

$84.8 MX$1,580

-48.34%

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

$9.85 DZD 1,325

$23.41 MX$436

-57.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.48 DZD 1,679

$28.66 MX$534

-56.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.66 DZD 3,318

$57.1 MX$1,063

-56.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.77 DZD 3,737

$28.91 MX$539

-3.94%

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 DZD 603

$5.14 MX$95.7

-12.84%

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

$564 DZD 75.9K

$207 MX$3,848

173.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,274 DZD 844.1K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

59.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.69 DZD 4,263

$43.35 MX$808

-26.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.81 DZD 4,684

$41.44 MX$772

-16.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.8 DZD 9,391

$74.2 MX$1,382

-5.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 DZD 10.9K

$89.3 MX$1,663

-9.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$163 DZD 22.0K

$980 MX$18.2K

-83.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$130 DZD 17.5K

$381 MX$7,095

-65.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 DZD 58.2K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-74.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 DZD 32.2K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-77.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,550 DZD 343.1K

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-35.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,334 DZD 179.5K

$6,158 MX$114.7K

-78.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$327 DZD 44.0K

$735 MX$13.7K

-55.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.3

11.45

-53.71%

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

Last update for Algiers: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Algiers

$174 29.8%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 46.4% $81

Accommodation & Living

Algiers

$130 22.2%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 193% $251

Clothing & Footwear

Algiers

$98 16.7%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 14.4% $14

Eating Out

Algiers

$72 12.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 180% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Algiers

$66 11.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 107% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Algiers

$34 5.8%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 100% $34

Getting Around

Algiers

$11 1.9%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 360% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $163 in Algiers and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $28 in Algiers vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $174 vs $255 per month, with Algiers cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇿 Algiers

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

05:02 5:02 AM

23:02 11:02 PM

6 h behind Algiers

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,415,811 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 DZD = 7.43 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.68 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to DZD – Algerian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇩🇿 Algerian Dinar (د.ج)

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.43 USD). 1 EUR = 150 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.68 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to DZD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Algiers Playa del Carmen 8,670 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Algiers
Playa del Carmen

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

Algiers vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Algiers is about 51% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 55% lower in Algiers. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $163 in Algiers versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Algiers – a meal for two runs $28 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $585 per month in Algiers versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Algiers is about 51% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $585 in Algiers versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Algiers but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Algiers the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Algiers gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.