Cost of Living Comparison Between El Oued and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between El Oued and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $612 in El Oued versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $973 in El Oued versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,334 in El Oued versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in El Oued costs roughly 52% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: El Oued 54% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.97 DZD 394

$11.87 MX$204

-74.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.17 DZD 2,541

$42.90 MX$736

-55.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.29 DZD 569

$10.65 MX$183

-59.72%

Cappuccino

$1.26 DZD 168

$3.45 MX$59.2

-63.48%

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

$0.62 DZD 82.0

$1.50 MX$25.81

-58.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 DZD 33.17

$0.95 MX$16.28

-73.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 DZD 255

$3.03 MX$51.9

-36.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 DZD 323

$4.61 MX$79.1

-47.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 DZD 135

$1.38 MX$23.61

-26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.13 DZD 17.75

$1.85 MX$31.70

-92.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 DZD 217

$1.61 MX$27.65

1.24%

Eggs

$1.85 DZD 245

$2.59 MX$44.51

-28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.95 DZD 1,186

$8.26 MX$142

8.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 DZD 721

$8.37 MX$144

-35.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.32 DZD 2,163

$10.66 MX$183

53.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 DZD 407

$2.63 MX$45.12

16.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 DZD 375

$1.49 MX$25.53

89.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 DZD 236

$1.92 MX$32.94

-7.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 DZD 98.3

$2.09 MX$35.81

-64.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 DZD 78.8

$1.86 MX$31.88

-68.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 DZD 65.2

$2.26 MX$38.81

-78.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 DZD 84.9

$1.06 MX$18.23

-39.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 DZD 40.17

$1.09 MX$18.67

-72.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.72 DZD 360

$4.15 MX$71.2

-34.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.53 DZD 865

$10.39 MX$178

-37.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 DZD 178

$1.72 MX$29.59

-22.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 DZD 286

$2.61 MX$44.85

-17.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 DZD 33.16

$0.54 MX$9.30

-53.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.45 DZD 2,313

$26.94 MX$462

-35.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 DZD 94.5

$3.13 MX$53.7

-77.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 DZD 44.75

$2.51 MX$43.09

-86.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 DZD 699

$3.15 MX$54.1

67.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 DZD 44.38

$1.27 MX$21.88

-74.02%

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

$31.8K DZD 4.2M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

4.63%

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

$33.1K DZD 4.4M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

40.58%

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

$40.44 DZD 5,360

$83.0 MX$1,425

-51.28%

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

$9.54 DZD 1,264

$22.71 MX$390

-57.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.08 DZD 2,264

$29.46 MX$506

-42.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.69 DZD 3,140

$51.0 MX$875

-53.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 DZD 707

$4.93 MX$84.5

8.32%

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

$92.5 DZD 12.3K

$197 MX$3,386

-53.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,638 DZD 482.2K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-31.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.43 DZD 4,961

$36.90 MX$633

1.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.65 DZD 6,050

$39.89 MX$685

14.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 DZD 10.1K

$80.0 MX$1,373

-4.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 DZD 10.2K

$89.5 MX$1,536

-13.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$196 DZD 26.0K

$956 MX$16.4K

-79.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$117 DZD 15.5K

$477 MX$8,189

-75.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$271 DZD 35.9K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-83.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 DZD 24.3K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-85.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,141 DZD 151.2K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-70.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,118 DZD 148.2K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-82.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$248 DZD 32.9K

$667 MX$11.4K

-62.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.42

11.42

-52.54%

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

Last update for El Oued: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $196 in El Oued and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 168% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19.00 in El Oued vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $250 per month, with El Oued cheaper across the board.

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

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

El Oued and Playa del Carmen differ by about 108% in total monthly costs ($612 vs $1,271 including rent). El Oued is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 168% less. 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: $196 in El Oued versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $92.5 in El Oued versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $612 in El Oued versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in El Oued but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes El Oued 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.

Safety-wise, El Oued and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find El Oued gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.