Cost of Living Comparison Between Ksar El Kebir and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Ksar El Kebir and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $770 in Ksar El Kebir versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,214 in Ksar El Kebir versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,657 in Ksar El Kebir versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ksar El Kebir costs roughly 39% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ksar El Kebir 44% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.59 MAD 24.52

$11.60 MX$200

-77.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.71 MAD 301

$47.11 MX$812

-32.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 MAD 80.4

$11.88 MX$205

-28.62%

Cappuccino

$1.62 MAD 15.39

$3.98 MX$68.6

-59.30%

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

$0.41 MAD 3.87

$1.43 MX$24.60

-71.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 MAD 3.29

$0.82 MX$14.22

-57.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.68 MAD 44.43

$3.19 MX$55.0

46.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.39 MAD 51.1

$6.79 MX$117

-20.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 MAD 8.14

$1.68 MX$28.89

-48.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 MAD 7.49

$2.20 MX$37.88

-64.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 MAD 17.61

$1.71 MX$29.45

8.77%

Eggs

$1.91 MAD 18.14

$2.74 MX$47.26

-30.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 MAD 109

$9.58 MX$165

20.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.30 MAD 69.3

$9.01 MX$155

-18.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.52 MAD 119

$12.81 MX$221

-2.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 MAD 15.23

$2.89 MX$49.81

-44.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MAD 14.94

$1.50 MX$25.81

5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.79 MAD 7.52

$2.15 MX$37.03

-63.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.82 MAD 7.75

$2.26 MX$38.96

-63.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 MAD 6.08

$1.98 MX$34.15

-67.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 MAD 7.20

$1.99 MX$34.30

-61.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 MAD 4.66

$1.23 MX$21.28

-60.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MAD 5.16

$1.20 MX$20.63

-55.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 MAD 39.59

$4.55 MX$78.5

-8.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.36 MAD 79.3

$10.37 MX$179

-19.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 MAD 26.19

$1.62 MX$27.91

70.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MAD 29.31

$2.88 MX$49.67

7.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 MAD 4.37

$0.60 MX$10.35

-23.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.66 MAD 186

$28.80 MX$497

-31.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 MAD 8.24

$5.39 MX$92.9

-83.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 MAD 2.91

$3.73 MX$64.3

-91.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 MAD 44.93

$5.77 MX$99.5

-17.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MAD 14.77

$1.54 MX$26.48

1.30%

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

$31.1K MAD 294.6K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

37.75%

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

$31.7K MAD 300.9K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

21.76%

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

$49.39 MAD 468

$91.4 MX$1,576

-45.95%

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

$10.13 MAD 96.1

$25.20 MX$435

-59.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.86 MAD 416

$31.24 MX$539

40.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.63 MAD 224

$67.2 MX$1,159

-64.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.02 MAD 190

$29.11 MX$502

-31.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.34 MAD 69.6

$4.86 MX$83.8

51.03%

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

$104 MAD 987

$224 MX$3,856

-53.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,533 MAD 52.5K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

30.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.6 MAD 574

$47.10 MX$812

28.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.36 MAD 468

$44.29 MX$764

11.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MAD 971

$80.1 MX$1,381

27.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.0 MAD 635

$92.7 MX$1,598

-27.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 MAD 2,286

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-77.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 MAD 1,650

$390 MX$6,728

-55.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$466 MAD 4,418

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-78.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$272 MAD 2,575

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-78.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,097 MAD 10.4K

$4,001 MX$69.0K

-72.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$866 MAD 8,216

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-86.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

11.45

-56.24%

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

Last update for Ksar El Kebir: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $241 in Ksar El Kebir and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ksar El Kebir vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $276 per month, with Ksar El Kebir 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

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

Ksar El Kebir is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,156 in Ksar El Kebir and $1,899 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $241 in Ksar El Kebir versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ksar El Kebir – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $770 in Ksar El Kebir versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ksar El Kebir but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ksar El Kebir the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ksar El Kebir is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ksar El Kebir 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 Ksar El Kebir gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.