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: $652 in Manouba versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $976 in Manouba versus $2,189 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,300 in Manouba versus $3,084 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 51% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.31 TND 9.63

$11.73 MX$202

-71.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.53 TND 59.7

$41.78 MX$719

-50.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 TND 14.51

$10.41 MX$179

-52.07%

Cappuccino

$1.03 TND 2.98

$3.61 MX$62.1

-71.47%

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

$0.59 TND 1.72

$1.46 MX$25.06

-59.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 TND 0.67

$0.97 MX$16.70

-76.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 TND 4.39

$2.92 MX$50.3

-48.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 TND 6.94

$4.62 MX$79.5

-48.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.50 TND 1.44

$1.43 MX$24.59

-65.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.18 TND 0.53

$1.90 MX$32.70

-90.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 TND 4.34

$1.57 MX$26.95

-5.10%

Eggs

$1.55 TND 4.52

$2.64 MX$45.34

-41.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 TND 30.16

$8.44 MX$145

22.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.64 TND 16.38

$8.58 MX$148

-34.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.54 TND 39.36

$11.00 MX$189

23.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 TND 6.10

$2.70 MX$46.51

-22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 TND 8.88

$1.51 MX$25.92

101.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 TND 2.91

$1.91 MX$32.93

-47.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 TND 2.16

$2.17 MX$37.37

-65.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 TND 2.04

$1.87 MX$32.25

-62.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 TND 1.82

$2.23 MX$38.43

-72.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 TND 1.34

$1.08 MX$18.60

-57.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 TND 0.84

$1.07 MX$18.47

-72.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 TND 9.74

$4.16 MX$71.6

-19.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.07 TND 14.73

$10.29 MX$177

-50.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 TND 3.18

$1.68 MX$28.95

-34.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 TND 3.23

$2.53 MX$43.59

-56.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 TND 0.94

$0.55 MX$9.53

-41.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.25 TND 29.79

$26.29 MX$452

-61.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 TND 0.94

$3.20 MX$55.0

-90.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 TND 0.89

$2.46 MX$42.37

-87.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 TND 10.09

$3.20 MX$55.0

8.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 TND 2.56

$1.32 MX$22.72

-33.33%

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

$34.9K TND 101.5K

$30.2K MX$518.8K

15.79%

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

$35.3K TND 102.7K

$23.4K MX$402.5K

51.07%

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

$45.88 TND 133

$81.4 MX$1,400

-43.60%

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

$9.84 TND 28.60

$22.41 MX$386

-56.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.08 TND 61.3

$29.97 MX$516

-29.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.17 TND 70.3

$51.6 MX$887

-53.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.90 TND 37.49

$18.39 MX$316

-29.85%

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 TND 15.31

$5.16 MX$88.9

2.13%

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

$109 TND 317

$202 MX$3,471

-45.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,484 TND 7,220

$5,311 MX$91.4K

-53.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.09 TND 128

$35.61 MX$613

23.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.02 TND 128

$40.37 MX$695

9.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 TND 277

$78.6 MX$1,353

21.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.0 TND 192

$86.9 MX$1,495

-24.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$206 TND 598

$950 MX$16.3K

-78.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$155 TND 451

$478 MX$8,227

-67.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 TND 790

$1,621 MX$27.9K

-83.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$202 TND 587

$1,223 MX$21.0K

-83.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,130 TND 3,284

$4,009 MX$69.0K

-71.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$558 TND 1,623

$6,473 MX$111.4K

-91.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

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: June 16, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $206 in Manouba and $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Manouba vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $254 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 98% in total monthly costs ($652 vs $1,294 including rent). Manouba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $979 in Manouba and $1,941 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: $206 in Manouba versus $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $652 in Manouba versus $1,294 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 98% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.