Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Laghouat and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Laghouat: $497 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Laghouat
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Laghouat Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Laghouat

🇩🇿 Algeria

$497

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $497 in Laghouat versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Laghouat $497
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $815 in Laghouat versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Laghouat $815
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,134 in Laghouat versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Laghouat $1,134
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Laghouat costs roughly 59% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Laghouat 64% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 DZD 471

$10.92 MX$203

-67.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.58 DZD 2,770

$43.37 MX$808

-52.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 DZD 612

$11.78 MX$219

-61.38%

Cappuccino

$0.99 DZD 134

$3.81 MX$71.0

-74.02%

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

$0.61 DZD 81.6

$1.28 MX$23.89

-52.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 DZD 21.14

$0.78 MX$14.58

-79.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.50 DZD 202

$3.17 MX$59.0

-52.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 DZD 293

$4.93 MX$91.9

-55.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 DZD 136

$1.41 MX$26.20

-28.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.12 DZD 16.46

$2.22 MX$41.30

-94.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 DZD 332

$1.42 MX$26.40

73.94%

Eggs

$1.76 DZD 237

$2.52 MX$47.00

-30.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 DZD 590

$7.26 MX$135

-39.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.52 DZD 743

$7.70 MX$143

-28.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 DZD 2,017

$12.69 MX$236

18.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 DZD 508

$2.78 MX$51.9

35.97%

Banana (1kg)

$3.52 DZD 474

$1.37 MX$25.49

156.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 DZD 284

$2.55 MX$47.52

-17.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 DZD 137

$2.12 MX$39.55

-51.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 DZD 76.9

$1.94 MX$36.11

-70.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 DZD 75.7

$1.89 MX$35.13

-70.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 DZD 72.4

$1.15 MX$21.36

-53.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 DZD 38.90

$1.18 MX$21.96

-75.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 DZD 312

$4.30 MX$80.0

-46.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 DZD 885

$9.95 MX$185

-33.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 DZD 173

$1.58 MX$29.50

-18.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 DZD 255

$2.67 MX$49.76

-29.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.10 DZD 12.94

$0.55 MX$10.31

-81.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.83 DZD 919

$26.62 MX$496

-74.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 DZD 105

$4.97 MX$92.6

-84.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 DZD 41.68

$3.33 MX$62.1

-90.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.13 DZD 825

$5.36 MX$99.8

14.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.37 DZD 49.26

$1.44 MX$26.90

-74.31%

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

$29.5K DZD 4.0M

$20.7K MX$385.0K

42.53%

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

$43.8K DZD 5.9M

$23.5K MX$437.2K

86.74%

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

$36.65 DZD 4,931

$84.8 MX$1,580

-56.78%

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

$6.15 DZD 827

$23.41 MX$436

-73.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.70 DZD 2,113

$28.66 MX$534

-45.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.58 DZD 1,827

$57.1 MX$1,063

-76.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$4.40 DZD 592

$5.14 MX$95.7

-14.40%

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

$57.3 DZD 7,707

$207 MX$3,848

-72.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,804 DZD 646.4K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

22.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.91 DZD 3,755

$43.35 MX$808

-35.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.05 DZD 4,447

$41.44 MX$772

-20.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.5 DZD 7,339

$74.2 MX$1,382

-26.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 DZD 9,384

$89.3 MX$1,663

-21.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$97.4 DZD 13.1K

$980 MX$18.2K

-90.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$54.9 DZD 7,380

$381 MX$7,095

-85.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$157 DZD 21.2K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-90.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$107 DZD 14.4K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-90.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$437 DZD 58.8K

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-88.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$288 DZD 38.8K

$6,158 MX$114.7K

-95.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$350 DZD 47.1K

$735 MX$13.7K

-52.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.3

11.45

-53.71%

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

Last update for Laghouat: October 26, 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

Laghouat

$199 40.2%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 27.8% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Laghouat

$83 16.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 34% $28

Eating Out

Laghouat

$69 13.8%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 195% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Laghouat

$59 11.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 134% $78

Accommodation & Living

Laghouat

$55 11.1%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 594% $326

Sport & Entertainment

Laghouat

$22 4.5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 201% $45

Getting Around

Laghouat

$9.5 1.9%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 429% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $97 in Laghouat and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays about 2.1 times more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $21 in Laghouat vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $255 per month, with Laghouat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇿 Laghouat

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

02:22 2:22 AM

20:22 8:22 PM

6 h behind Laghouat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

144,747

149,923

💱 Currency

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 DZD = 7.43 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.68 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to DZD – Algerian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇩🇿 Algerian Dinar (د.ج)

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.43 USD). 1 EUR = 150 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.68 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to DZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Laghouat Playa del Carmen 8,750 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Laghouat
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

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

Laghouat is about 59% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 52% lower in Laghouat. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $97 in Laghouat versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $497 per month in Laghouat versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Laghouat is about 59% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Laghouat runs roughly 74% less than in Playa del Carmen. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $497 in Laghouat versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Laghouat but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Laghouat 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 Laghouat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.