Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ksar El Kebir: $760 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Ksar El Kebir
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Ksar El Kebir Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Ksar El Kebir

🇲🇦 Morocco

$760

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $760 in Ksar El Kebir versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Ksar El Kebir $760
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,177 in Ksar El Kebir versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Ksar El Kebir $1,177
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,593 in Ksar El Kebir versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Ksar El Kebir $1,593
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Ksar El Kebir costs roughly 37% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ksar El Kebir 44% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.56 MAD 25.21

$10.92 MX$205

-76.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.46 MAD 319

$43.37 MX$814

-25.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 MAD 80.2

$11.78 MX$221

-30.73%

Cappuccino

$1.51 MAD 14.84

$3.81 MX$71.5

-60.37%

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

$0.43 MAD 4.18

$1.28 MX$24.07

-66.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MAD 3.59

$0.78 MX$14.70

-53.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.97 MAD 39.05

$3.17 MX$59.5

25.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 MAD 55.4

$4.93 MX$92.7

14.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 MAD 8.25

$1.41 MX$26.40

-40.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 MAD 8.22

$2.22 MX$41.62

-62.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MAD 18.50

$1.42 MX$26.61

32.39%

Eggs

$1.91 MAD 18.75

$2.52 MX$47.36

-24.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.79 MAD 106

$7.26 MX$136

48.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.07 MAD 69.5

$7.70 MX$144

-8.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.09 MAD 119

$12.69 MX$238

-4.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 MAD 16.35

$2.78 MX$52.3

-40.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 MAD 15.06

$1.37 MX$25.68

11.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.77 MAD 7.55

$2.55 MX$47.89

-69.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 MAD 6.81

$2.12 MX$39.86

-67.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 MAD 6.21

$1.94 MX$36.39

-67.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 MAD 6.28

$1.89 MX$35.41

-66.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 MAD 4.40

$1.15 MX$21.53

-60.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MAD 4.99

$1.18 MX$22.13

-56.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MAD 39.04

$4.30 MX$80.6

-7.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.10 MAD 79.7

$9.95 MX$187

-18.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 MAD 22.81

$1.58 MX$29.73

46.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 MAD 30.74

$2.67 MX$50.1

17.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 MAD 4.85

$0.55 MX$10.39

-10.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.97 MAD 196

$26.62 MX$500

-24.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 MAD 7.86

$4.97 MX$93.3

-83.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MAD 2.91

$3.33 MX$62.5

-90.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.59 MAD 45.13

$5.36 MX$101

-14.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MAD 14.62

$1.44 MX$27.11

3.47%

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

$30.6K MAD 300.8K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

48.06%

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

$31.6K MAD 310.6K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

34.68%

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

$50.3 MAD 494

$84.8 MX$1,592

-40.74%

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

$9.74 MAD 95.8

$23.41 MX$439

-58.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.26 MAD 406

$28.66 MX$538

43.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.51 MAD 261

$57.1 MX$1,071

-53.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.10 MAD 178

$28.91 MX$543

-37.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 MAD 74.4

$5.14 MX$96.5

47.28%

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

$99.0 MAD 973

$207 MX$3,878

-52.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,596 MAD 55.0K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

42.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 MAD 583

$43.35 MX$814

36.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.51 MAD 438

$41.44 MX$778

7.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 MAD 909

$74.2 MX$1,393

24.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.2 MAD 572

$89.3 MX$1,676

-34.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$233 MAD 2,291

$980 MX$18.4K

-76.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 MAD 1,730

$381 MX$7,150

-53.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 MAD 4,519

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-73.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 MAD 2,592

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-75.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,010 MAD 9,929

$3,943 MX$74.0K

-74.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$706 MAD 6,935

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-88.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.83

11.45

-57.82%

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

Last update for Ksar El Kebir: October 25, 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

Ksar El Kebir

$205 27%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 24.3% $50

Accommodation & Living

Ksar El Kebir

$176 23.2%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 116% $205

Clothing & Footwear

Ksar El Kebir

$115 15.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 2.5% $2.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ksar El Kebir

$101 13.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 35.2% $36

Eating Out

Ksar El Kebir

$97 12.8%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 108% $105

Sport & Entertainment

Ksar El Kebir

$42 5.5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 61.6% $26

Getting Around

Ksar El Kebir

$24 3.2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 108% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $233 in Ksar El Kebir and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Ksar El Kebir vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $255 per month, with Ksar El Kebir cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Ksar El Kebir

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

07:34 7:34 AM

02:34 2:34 AM

5 h behind Ksar El Kebir

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,617

149,923

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.17 USD

100 MAD = 9.11 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham (د.م.)

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

USD to MAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ksar El Kebir Playa del Carmen 7,930 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Ksar El Kebir
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

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

Ksar El Kebir is about 37% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,140 in Ksar El Kebir 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $233 in Ksar El Kebir versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% 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 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $760 in Ksar El Kebir versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 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.

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.

Expats usually find Ksar El Kebir gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.