Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guelmim and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Guelmim: $562 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Guelmim, Morocco
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Guelmim
🇲🇦 Morocco
$562
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guelmim 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 Guelmim and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $562 per month in Guelmim vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Guelmim $562
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $911 per month in Guelmim vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Guelmim $911
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,261 per month in Guelmim vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Guelmim $1,261
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Guelmim is about 53% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Guelmim and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Guelmim 59% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Guelmim
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.05 MAD 49.68
$10.92 MX$205
-53.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.74 MAD 243
$43.37 MX$814
-42.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.32 MAD 72.0
$11.78 MX$221
-37.86%
Cappuccino
$2.10 MAD 20.63
$3.81 MX$71.5
-44.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.80 MAD 7.85
$1.28 MX$24.07
-37.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 MAD 3.34
$0.78 MX$14.70
-56.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.95 MAD 48.65
$3.17 MX$59.5
56.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 MAD 43.01
$4.93 MX$92.7
-11.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Guelmim
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.84 MAD 8.24
$1.41 MX$26.40
-40.43%
White Bread (500g)
$0.40 MAD 3.98
$2.22 MX$41.62
-81.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.00 MAD 9.82
$1.42 MX$26.61
-29.58%
Eggs
$1.61 MAD 15.87
$2.52 MX$47.36
-36.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.16 MAD 80.2
$7.26 MX$136
12.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.29 MAD 32.38
$7.70 MX$144
-57.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.55 MAD 84.1
$12.69 MX$238
-32.62%
Apples (1kg)
$1.28 MAD 12.60
$2.78 MX$52.3
-53.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.11 MAD 10.92
$1.37 MX$25.68
-18.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.86 MAD 8.42
$2.55 MX$47.89
-66.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.58 MAD 5.71
$2.12 MX$39.86
-72.64%
Potato (1kg)
$0.63 MAD 6.18
$1.94 MX$36.39
-67.53%
Onion (1kg)
$0.58 MAD 5.74
$1.89 MX$35.41
-69.31%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.54 MAD 5.29
$1.15 MX$21.53
-53.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.54 MAD 5.35
$1.18 MX$22.13
-54.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.01 MAD 39.44
$4.30 MX$80.6
-6.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.11 MAD 109
$9.95 MX$187
11.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 MAD 11.82
$1.58 MX$29.73
-24.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 MAD 13.34
$2.67 MX$50.1
-49.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Guelmim
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.74 MAD 7.26
$0.55 MX$10.39
34.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$20.72 MAD 204
$26.62 MX$500
-22.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.62 MAD 6.11
$4.97 MX$93.3
-87.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.59 MAD 5.76
$3.33 MX$62.5
-82.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.95 MAD 58.5
$5.36 MX$101
11.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 MAD 13.32
$1.44 MX$27.11
-5.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.1K MAD 295.9K
$20.7K MX$388.0K
45.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.0K MAD 314.8K
$23.5K MX$440.5K
36.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guelmim
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$23.35 MAD 230
$84.8 MX$1,592
-72.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.23 MAD 101
$23.41 MX$439
-56.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.19 MAD 198
$28.66 MX$538
-29.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Guelmim
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.35 MAD 249
$57.1 MX$1,071
-55.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.58 MAD 202
$28.91 MX$543
-28.81%
Cinema Ticket
$5.23 MAD 51.4
$5.14 MX$96.5
1.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Guelmim
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$69.8 MAD 686
$207 MX$3,878
-66.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,853 MAD 18.2K
$3,927 MX$73.7K
-52.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Guelmim
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$18.13 MAD 178
$43.35 MX$814
-58.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$15.45 MAD 152
$41.44 MX$778
-62.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$58.3 MAD 573
$74.2 MX$1,393
-21.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$30.53 MAD 300
$89.3 MX$1,676
-65.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Guelmim
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$186 MAD 1,832
$980 MX$18.4K
-80.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$113 MAD 1,110
$381 MX$7,150
-70.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$326 MAD 3,207
$1,708 MX$32.1K
-80.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$219 MAD 2,153
$1,075 MX$20.2K
-79.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,175 MAD 11.5K
$3,943 MX$74.0K
-70.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$818 MAD 8,045
$6,158 MX$115.6K
-86.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Guelmim
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$311 MAD 3,057
$735 MX$13.8K
-57.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.5
11.45
-43.23%

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

Last update for Guelmim: October 27, 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
Guelmim
$152
Playa del Carmen
$255 68.1% $103
Eating Out
Guelmim
$126
Playa del Carmen
$202 61.1% $77
Accommodation & Living
Guelmim
$113
Playa del Carmen
$381 237% $268
Clothing & Footwear
Guelmim
$55
Playa del Carmen
$112 103% $57
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guelmim
$54
Playa del Carmen
$137 155% $83
Sport & Entertainment
Guelmim
$36
Playa del Carmen
$67 87.9% $31
Getting Around
Guelmim
$27
Playa del Carmen
$50 85.3% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $186 in Guelmim versus $980 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 in Playa del Carmen are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Guelmim versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $152 vs $255 – making Guelmim the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇦 Guelmim
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
02:00 2:00 AM
21:00 9:00 PM
5 h behind Guelmim
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
118,318
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.83 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.98 MAD (100 MAD = 9.11 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Guelmim Playa del Carmen 7,700 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Guelmim
  • 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
Guelmim vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Guelmim cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 114%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $843 per month in Guelmim and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Guelmim, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $186 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
What are total monthly expenses in Guelmim and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $562 in Guelmim and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Guelmim about 53% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 22% less in Guelmim. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Guelmim or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Guelmim, where all-in costs run around $562, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Guelmim it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Guelmim or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Guelmim – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Guelmim. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Guelmim vs other spots: cost of living compared

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