Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kafr El Sheikh and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Kafr El Sheikh: $398 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Kafr El Sheikh, Egypt
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Kafr El Sheikh
🇪🇬 Egypt
$398
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $398 in Kafr El Sheikh versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Kafr El Sheikh $398
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $652 in Kafr El Sheikh versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Kafr El Sheikh $652
  • Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $906 in Kafr El Sheikh versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Kafr El Sheikh $906
  • Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Kafr El Sheikh costs roughly 67% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kafr El Sheikh 71% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kafr El Sheikh
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.87 E£214
$10.86 MX$203
-64.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.78 E£816
$44.21 MX$824
-66.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.29 E£237
$11.76 MX$219
-63.52%
Cappuccino
$1.13 E£62.5
$3.68 MX$68.6
-69.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 E£18.50
$1.34 MX$25.01
-75.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.12 E£6.60
$0.82 MX$15.38
-85.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.41 E£77.8
$3.06 MX$57.1
-53.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 E£67.9
$4.94 MX$92.1
-75.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kafr El Sheikh
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.82 E£45.22
$1.47 MX$27.41
-44.22%
White Bread (500g)
$0.33 E£18.40
$2.22 MX$41.32
-85.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.59 E£32.70
$1.48 MX$27.57
-60.14%
Eggs
$1.20 E£66.4
$2.49 MX$46.41
-51.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$2.37 E£131
$7.52 MX$140
-68.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.66 E£202
$7.96 MX$148
-54.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.57 E£418
$12.57 MX$234
-39.78%
Apples (1kg)
$1.48 E£82.0
$2.78 MX$51.8
-46.76%
Banana (1kg)
$0.55 E£30.22
$1.43 MX$26.61
-61.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.41 E£22.82
$2.62 MX$48.81
-84.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.33 E£18.31
$2.14 MX$39.85
-84.58%
Potato (1kg)
$0.42 E£23.29
$2.02 MX$37.72
-79.21%
Onion (1kg)
$0.35 E£19.52
$1.99 MX$37.08
-82.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.26 E£14.18
$1.14 MX$21.20
-77.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.18 E£9.94
$1.20 MX$22.38
-85.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.80 E£99.4
$4.26 MX$79.4
-57.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.13 E£283
$10.02 MX$187
-48.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 E£57.7
$1.54 MX$28.67
-32.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.62 E£89.3
$2.66 MX$49.62
-39.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Kafr El Sheikh
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.20 E£10.79
$0.53 MX$9.82
-62.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$27.51 MX$513
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.29 E£16.04
$4.90 MX$91.4
-94.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.29 E£16.09
$3.43 MX$64.1
-91.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.19 E£65.8
$5.38 MX$100
-77.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.44 E£24.34
$1.45 MX$27.00
-69.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.9K E£1.7M
$21.2K MX$394.5K
45.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K E£1.4M
$23.0K MX$429.2K
6.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kafr El Sheikh
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$13.15 E£727
$85.4 MX$1,592
-84.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.68 E£369
$23.46 MX$438
-71.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.62 E£531
$28.43 MX$530
-66.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kafr El Sheikh
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$8.82 E£488
$62.2 MX$1,160
-85.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.81 E£211
$28.68 MX$535
-86.72%
Cinema Ticket
$3.80 E£210
$5.10 MX$95.2
-25.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kafr El Sheikh
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$84.5 E£4,668
$201 MX$3,749
-57.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,279 E£125.9K
$3,947 MX$73.6K
-42.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kafr El Sheikh
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$9.49 E£524
$44.39 MX$828
-78.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.90 E£2,591
$41.35 MX$771
13.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$156 E£8,612
$72.7 MX$1,356
114.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$18.79 E£1,038
$89.6 MX$1,671
-79.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kafr El Sheikh
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$130 E£7,157
$979 MX$18.3K
-86.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$72.2 E£3,987
$373 MX$6,950
-80.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$248 E£13.7K
$1,681 MX$31.3K
-85.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$142 E£7,867
$1,095 MX$20.4K
-87.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$738 E£40.8K
$3,949 MX$73.6K
-81.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$387 E£21.4K
$6,137 MX$114.4K
-93.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kafr El Sheikh
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$738 MX$13.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
22.5
11.45
96.51%

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

Last update for Kafr El Sheikh: October 17, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Kafr El Sheikh
$105
Playa del Carmen
$258 147% $154
Clothing & Footwear
Kafr El Sheikh
$104
Playa del Carmen
$112 7.4% $7.7
Accommodation & Living
Kafr El Sheikh
$72
Playa del Carmen
$373 417% $301
Eating Out
Kafr El Sheikh
$69
Playa del Carmen
$200 192% $132
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kafr El Sheikh
$29
Playa del Carmen
$137 366% $108
Sport & Entertainment
Kafr El Sheikh
$16
Playa del Carmen
$72 341% $56
Getting Around
Kafr El Sheikh
$2.5 *
Playa del Carmen
$52 1943% $49

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $130 in Kafr El Sheikh and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $15 in Kafr El Sheikh vs $44 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $105 vs $258 per month, with Kafr El Sheikh cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇬 Kafr El Sheikh
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
08:39 8:39 AM
00:39 12:39 AM
8 h behind Kafr El Sheikh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
194,569
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 55.25 EGP (100 EGP = 1.81 USD). 1 EUR = 61.99 EGP (100 EGP = 1.61 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 18.65 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.92 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kafr El Sheikh Playa del Carmen 11,230 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kafr El Sheikh
  • 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
Kafr El Sheikh vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Kafr El Sheikh and in Playa del Carmen?
Kafr El Sheikh and Playa del Carmen differ by about 203% in total monthly costs ($398 vs $1,204 including rent). Kafr El Sheikh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Kafr El Sheikh compared to Playa del Carmen?
You’d need roughly $597 in Kafr El Sheikh and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Kafr El Sheikh and in Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $130 in Kafr El Sheikh versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 147% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Kafr El Sheikh or Playa del Carmen?
All in, you’ll spend $398 per month in Kafr El Sheikh versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – a 203% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $398 in Kafr El Sheikh versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Kafr El Sheikh but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kafr El Sheikh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Kafr El Sheikh and Playa del Carmen?
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.

Kafr El Sheikh vs other spots: cost of living compared

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