Cost of Living Comparison Between M'Sila and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between M'Sila and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $536 in M'Sila versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $845 in M'Sila versus $2,130 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,154 in M'Sila versus $2,999 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in M'Sila costs roughly 58% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: M'Sila 60% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 DZD 252

$11.67 MX$202

-83.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.57 DZD 2,590

$41.88 MX$726

-53.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.83 DZD 507

$10.40 MX$180

-63.17%

Cappuccino

$0.41 DZD 53.9

$3.61 MX$62.6

-88.64%

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

$0.56 DZD 74.4

$1.47 MX$25.45

-61.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 DZD 21.57

$0.91 MX$15.80

-82.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 DZD 265

$3.03 MX$52.6

-33.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 DZD 318

$4.47 MX$77.4

-46.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 DZD 111

$1.38 MX$23.83

-39.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.11 DZD 14.75

$1.84 MX$31.93

-94.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 DZD 189

$1.61 MX$27.82

-11.18%

Eggs

$1.45 DZD 192

$2.57 MX$44.52

-43.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.10 DZD 411

$8.49 MX$147

-63.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.46 DZD 723

$8.49 MX$147

-35.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 DZD 1,239

$10.99 MX$190

-14.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 DZD 414

$2.73 MX$47.25

14.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 DZD 369

$1.50 MX$25.92

86.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 DZD 226

$1.96 MX$33.93

-12.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 DZD 77.1

$2.12 MX$36.70

-72.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 DZD 69.9

$1.86 MX$32.30

-71.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.29 DZD 38.25

$2.17 MX$37.67

-86.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.13 DZD 17.26

$1.07 MX$18.59

-87.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 DZD 39.92

$1.05 MX$18.18

-71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.73 DZD 361

$4.19 MX$72.6

-34.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.08 DZD 937

$10.28 MX$178

-31.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 DZD 178

$1.67 MX$28.87

-19.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 DZD 279

$2.49 MX$43.12

-15.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 DZD 30.35

$0.54 MX$9.37

-57.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.27 DZD 2,285

$26.27 MX$455

-34.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 DZD 88.3

$3.10 MX$53.8

-78.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 DZD 47.72

$2.46 MX$42.66

-85.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 DZD 715

$3.24 MX$56.1

66.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.35 DZD 46.79

$1.26 MX$21.83

-72.22%

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

$36.0K DZD 4.8M

$30.2K MX$522.8K

19.24%

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

$33.8K DZD 4.5M

$23.4K MX$406.3K

44.01%

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

$24.52 DZD 3,245

$84.0 MX$1,456

-70.81%

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

$7.69 DZD 1,017

$22.21 MX$385

-65.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.91 DZD 2,370

$29.65 MX$514

-39.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.35 DZD 3,090

$52.6 MX$912

-55.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 DZD 840

$4.95 MX$85.7

28.08%

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

$92.8 DZD 12.3K

$198 MX$3,438

-53.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,597 DZD 476.1K

$5,322 MX$92.2K

-32.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.87 DZD 4,880

$35.95 MX$623

2.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.33 DZD 6,131

$40.06 MX$694

15.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 DZD 9,924

$78.8 MX$1,365

-4.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.9 DZD 10.2K

$86.5 MX$1,499

-11.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$194 DZD 25.7K

$977 MX$16.9K

-80.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$117 DZD 15.5K

$471 MX$8,158

-75.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 DZD 35.6K

$1,595 MX$27.6K

-83.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 DZD 23.8K

$1,215 MX$21.1K

-85.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$441 DZD 58.4K

$4,032 MX$69.9K

-89.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$654 DZD 86.6K

$6,579 MX$114.0K

-90.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$256 DZD 33.9K

$714 MX$12.4K

-64.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.42

11.42

-52.54%

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

Last update for M'Sila: April 21, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $194 in M'Sila and $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 179% 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: $20 in M'Sila vs $42 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $159 vs $252 per month, with M'Sila 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

M'Sila vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

M'Sila is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 135% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 179% less. 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: $194 in M'Sila versus $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in M'Sila runs roughly 52% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $92.8 in M'Sila versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $536 in M'Sila versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in M'Sila but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes M'Sila the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, M'Sila 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, M'Sila 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 M'Sila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.