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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $643 in Manouba versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $979 in Manouba versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,314 in Manouba versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Manouba costs roughly 50% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manouba 52% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 TND 9.99

$11.94 MX$209

-71.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.66 TND 59.7

$42.75 MX$748

-51.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.23 TND 15.10

$10.59 MX$185

-50.61%

Cappuccino

$1.08 TND 3.11

$3.62 MX$63.4

-70.17%

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

$0.60 TND 1.73

$1.47 MX$25.69

-59.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 TND 0.73

$0.94 MX$16.51

-73.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 TND 4.51

$3.09 MX$54.1

-49.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 TND 7.03

$4.46 MX$78.0

-45.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.47 TND 1.35

$1.43 MX$24.94

-67.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.20 TND 0.57

$1.88 MX$32.97

-89.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 TND 4.29

$1.63 MX$28.50

-8.59%

Eggs

$1.49 TND 4.30

$2.64 MX$46.26

-43.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 TND 30.87

$8.21 MX$144

30.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.67 TND 16.39

$8.29 MX$145

-31.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 TND 39.70

$11.10 MX$194

23.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 TND 5.86

$2.65 MX$46.40

-23.40%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 TND 8.87

$1.50 MX$26.26

104.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 TND 3.03

$1.99 MX$34.79

-47.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 TND 2.13

$2.08 MX$36.33

-64.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 TND 2.08

$1.79 MX$31.29

-59.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 TND 1.73

$2.18 MX$38.09

-72.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 TND 1.25

$1.08 MX$18.84

-60.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 TND 0.90

$1.04 MX$18.15

-70.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 TND 9.69

$3.97 MX$69.5

-15.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.00 TND 14.45

$10.20 MX$179

-50.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 TND 3.19

$1.73 MX$30.22

-36.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 TND 3.06

$2.50 MX$43.71

-57.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 TND 0.95

$0.52 MX$9.07

-36.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.04 TND 29.03

$26.97 MX$472

-62.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 TND 0.85

$3.14 MX$55.0

-90.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 TND 0.89

$2.40 MX$42.04

-87.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 TND 9.91

$3.09 MX$54.0

11.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 TND 2.50

$1.27 MX$22.28

-32.28%

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

$35.2K TND 101.8K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

14.11%

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

$34.8K TND 100.5K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

49.18%

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

$44.88 TND 130

$82.0 MX$1,435

-45.27%

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

$9.72 TND 28.08

$22.45 MX$393

-56.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.08 TND 60.9

$29.66 MX$519

-28.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.37 TND 67.5

$51.9 MX$908

-54.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.72 TND 36.77

$18.67 MX$327

-31.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 TND 15.92

$4.97 MX$87.0

10.87%

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

$109 TND 314

$198 MX$3,462

-45.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,524 TND 7,295

$5,273 MX$92.3K

-52.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.16 TND 128

$36.34 MX$636

21.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.44 TND 128

$40.05 MX$701

10.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 TND 278

$79.9 MX$1,398

20.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.1 TND 185

$88.9 MX$1,555

-27.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$200 TND 579

$963 MX$16.9K

-79.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$153 TND 442

$465 MX$8,133

-67.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 TND 798

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-82.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 TND 594

$1,209 MX$21.2K

-82.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$880 TND 2,542

$3,942 MX$69.0K

-77.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$562 TND 1,625

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-91.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.96

11.42

-4.03%

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

Last update for Manouba: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $200 in Manouba and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Manouba vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $251 per month, with Manouba 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

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

Manouba and Playa del Carmen differ by about 100% in total monthly costs ($643 vs $1,287 including rent). Manouba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $964 in Manouba and $1,930 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: $200 in Manouba versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Manouba – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $643 in Manouba versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Manouba but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Manouba 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 Manouba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.