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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $627 per month in Laayoune vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,026 per month in Laayoune vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,425 per month in Laayoune vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Laayoune is about 51% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Laayoune and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Laayoune 53% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.90 MAD 36.11

$11.87 MX$204

-67.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.17 MAD 270

$42.90 MX$736

-32.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.72 MAD 43.65

$10.65 MX$183

-55.68%

Cappuccino

$1.61 MAD 14.91

$3.45 MX$59.2

-53.33%

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

$0.48 MAD 4.48

$1.50 MX$25.81

-68.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 MAD 2.95

$0.95 MX$16.28

-66.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 MAD 31.88

$3.03 MX$51.9

13.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 MAD 42.26

$4.61 MX$79.1

-0.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 MAD 7.72

$1.38 MX$23.61

-39.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 MAD 5.47

$1.85 MX$31.70

-68.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MAD 17.55

$1.61 MX$27.65

18.01%

Eggs

$1.37 MAD 12.64

$2.59 MX$44.51

-47.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 MAD 107

$8.26 MX$142

40.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.53 MAD 32.66

$8.37 MX$144

-57.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.12 MAD 84.3

$10.66 MX$183

-14.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 MAD 14.24

$2.63 MX$45.12

-41.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 MAD 10.91

$1.49 MX$25.53

-20.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.71 MAD 6.53

$1.92 MX$32.94

-63.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 MAD 5.11

$2.09 MX$35.81

-73.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.44 MAD 4.10

$1.86 MX$31.88

-76.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 MAD 3.33

$2.26 MX$38.81

-84.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 MAD 8.79

$1.06 MX$18.23

-10.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MAD 5.48

$1.09 MX$18.67

-45.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 MAD 31.94

$2.61 MX$44.85

32.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 MAD 5.49

$0.54 MX$9.30

9.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.44 MAD 106

$26.94 MX$462

-57.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 MAD 6.96

$3.13 MX$53.7

-76.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 MAD 6.46

$2.51 MX$43.09

-72.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 MAD 11.50

$1.27 MX$21.88

-2.36%

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

$39.0K MAD 360.8K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

28.41%

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

$26.9K MAD 249.1K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

14.27%

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

$33.13 MAD 307

$83.0 MX$1,425

-60.08%

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

$22.71 MX$390

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.13 MAD 205

$29.46 MX$506

-24.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.45 MAD 217

$51.0 MX$875

-54.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 MAD 323

$18.33 MX$315

90.51%

Cinema Ticket

$3.44 MAD 31.86

$4.93 MX$84.5

-30.22%

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

$293 MAD 2,709

$197 MX$3,386

48.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,405 MAD 31.5K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-35.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.29 MAD 326

$36.90 MX$633

-4.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 MAD 541

$39.89 MX$685

46.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.9 MAD 684

$80.0 MX$1,373

-7.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 MAD 747

$89.5 MX$1,536

-9.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$347 MAD 3,207

$956 MX$16.4K

-63.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 MAD 1,593

$477 MX$8,189

-63.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$685 MAD 6,334

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-58.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 MAD 2,677

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-76.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

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

Last update for Laayoune: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $347 in Laayoune versus $956 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Laayoune versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $147 vs $250 – making Laayoune the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 103%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $940 per month in Laayoune and $1,906 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Laayoune, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 70% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Laayoune and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Laayoune, where all-in costs run around $627, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Laayoune it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Laayoune – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Laayoune. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.