Cost of Living Comparison Between Guelma and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Guelma and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $619 in Guelma versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $965 in Guelma versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,312 in Guelma versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.16 DZD 419

$11.87 MX$204

-73.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.35 DZD 3,094

$42.90 MX$736

-45.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.00 DZD 530

$10.65 MX$183

-62.44%

Cappuccino

$0.78 DZD 103

$3.45 MX$59.2

-77.39%

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)

$0.23 DZD 30.54

$0.95 MX$16.28

-75.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 DZD 254

$3.03 MX$51.9

-36.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 DZD 305

$4.61 MX$79.1

-50.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 DZD 137

$1.38 MX$23.61

-25.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.14 DZD 19.13

$1.85 MX$31.70

-92.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 DZD 217

$1.61 MX$27.65

1.86%

Eggs

$1.86 DZD 247

$2.59 MX$44.51

-28.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 DZD 1,199

$8.26 MX$142

9.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.23 DZD 693

$8.37 MX$144

-37.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 DZD 2,182

$10.66 MX$183

54.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 DZD 428

$2.63 MX$45.12

22.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 DZD 372

$1.49 MX$25.53

88.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 DZD 232

$1.92 MX$32.94

-8.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 DZD 105

$2.09 MX$35.81

-62.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 DZD 77.9

$1.86 MX$31.88

-68.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 DZD 66.8

$2.26 MX$38.81

-77.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 DZD 86.3

$1.06 MX$18.23

-38.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 DZD 36.70

$1.09 MX$18.67

-74.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.70 DZD 358

$4.15 MX$71.2

-34.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.79 DZD 900

$10.39 MX$178

-34.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 DZD 176

$1.72 MX$29.59

-22.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 DZD 275

$2.61 MX$44.85

-20.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 DZD 30.30

$0.54 MX$9.30

-57.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.25 DZD 2,287

$26.94 MX$462

-35.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 DZD 88.8

$3.13 MX$53.7

-78.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 DZD 44.71

$2.51 MX$43.09

-86.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 DZD 697

$3.15 MX$54.1

66.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.37 DZD 48.51

$1.27 MX$21.88

-70.87%

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

$32.6K DZD 4.3M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

7.30%

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

$33.6K DZD 4.4M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

42.37%

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

$41.33 DZD 5,478

$83.0 MX$1,425

-50.20%

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

$9.21 DZD 1,221

$22.71 MX$390

-59.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.03 DZD 2,257

$29.46 MX$506

-42.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.07 DZD 3,057

$51.0 MX$875

-54.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 DZD 721

$4.93 MX$84.5

10.34%

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

$94.6 DZD 12.5K

$197 MX$3,386

-52.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,642 DZD 482.7K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-31.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.56 DZD 4,846

$36.90 MX$633

-0.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.15 DZD 6,117

$39.89 MX$685

15.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 DZD 9,840

$80.0 MX$1,373

-7.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 DZD 10.3K

$89.5 MX$1,536

-12.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$194 DZD 25.7K

$956 MX$16.4K

-79.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 DZD 15.2K

$477 MX$8,189

-75.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 DZD 36.4K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-83.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 DZD 24.4K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-84.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,153 DZD 152.9K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-70.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,128 DZD 149.5K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-82.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$306 DZD 40.5K

$667 MX$11.4K

-54.15%

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 Guelma: June 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $194 in Guelma and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 118% 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: $23.00 in Guelma 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 Guelma 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

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

Guelma and Playa del Carmen differ by about 105% in total monthly costs ($619 vs $1,271 including rent). Guelma is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 118% 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: $194 in Guelma versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Guelma – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $619 in Guelma versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Guelma but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Guelma 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, Guelma 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 Guelma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.