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: $629 in El Oued versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $980 in El Oued versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,330 in El Oued versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in El Oued costs roughly 51% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: El Oued 53% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.85 DZD 378

$11.94 MX$208

-76.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.19 DZD 2,544

$42.75 MX$744

-55.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.44 DZD 589

$10.59 MX$184

-58.07%

Cappuccino

$1.25 DZD 166

$3.62 MX$63.0

-65.47%

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

$0.60 DZD 80.0

$1.47 MX$25.54

-59.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 DZD 30.31

$0.94 MX$16.41

-75.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 DZD 260

$3.09 MX$53.8

-36.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 DZD 311

$4.46 MX$77.6

-47.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 DZD 131

$1.43 MX$24.80

-30.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.15 DZD 20.14

$1.88 MX$32.79

-92.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 DZD 215

$1.63 MX$28.34

-0.61%

Eggs

$1.85 DZD 246

$2.64 MX$45.99

-29.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.15 DZD 1,214

$8.21 MX$143

11.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 DZD 720

$8.29 MX$144

-34.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.73 DZD 2,219

$11.10 MX$193

50.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 DZD 425

$2.65 MX$46.14

20.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 DZD 387

$1.50 MX$26.11

94.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 DZD 225

$1.99 MX$34.59

-14.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 DZD 104

$2.08 MX$36.13

-62.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 DZD 72.7

$1.79 MX$31.11

-69.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 DZD 65.8

$2.18 MX$37.87

-77.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 DZD 84.9

$1.08 MX$18.73

-40.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 DZD 36.62

$1.04 MX$18.04

-73.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.68 DZD 355

$3.97 MX$69.1

-32.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 DZD 825

$10.20 MX$178

-39.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 DZD 177

$1.73 MX$30.04

-22.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 DZD 276

$2.50 MX$43.46

-16.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 DZD 30.45

$0.52 MX$9.02

-55.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.70 DZD 2,347

$26.97 MX$469

-34.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 DZD 94.7

$3.14 MX$54.7

-77.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 DZD 48.52

$2.40 MX$41.80

-84.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.14 DZD 682

$3.09 MX$53.7

66.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.37 DZD 48.41

$1.27 MX$22.16

-70.87%

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

$32.9K DZD 4.4M

$30.9K MX$537.3K

6.52%

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

$34.2K DZD 4.5M

$23.3K MX$405.7K

46.54%

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

$41.37 DZD 5,487

$82.0 MX$1,427

-49.55%

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

$9.29 DZD 1,232

$22.45 MX$391

-58.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.90 DZD 2,241

$29.66 MX$516

-43.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.67 DZD 3,139

$51.9 MX$903

-54.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 DZD 735

$4.97 MX$86.5

11.47%

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

$93.4 DZD 12.4K

$198 MX$3,442

-52.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,556 DZD 471.6K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

-32.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.57 DZD 4,850

$36.34 MX$632

0.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.28 DZD 6,006

$40.05 MX$697

13.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 DZD 9,878

$79.9 MX$1,390

-6.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 DZD 10.4K

$88.9 MX$1,547

-11.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$195 DZD 25.8K

$963 MX$16.8K

-79.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$117 DZD 15.5K

$465 MX$8,086

-74.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 DZD 35.6K

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-83.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 DZD 23.9K

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-85.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$224 DZD 29.8K

$3,942 MX$68.6K

-94.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$247 DZD 32.8K

$720 MX$12.5K

-65.71%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $195 in El Oued and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 192% 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 $206 vs $251 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 104% in total monthly costs ($629 vs $1,287 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 192% 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: $195 in El Oued versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $93.4 in El Oued versus $198 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 $629 in El Oued versus $1,287 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 104% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.