Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medea and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Medea: $453 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Medea
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Medea Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Medea

🇩🇿 Algeria

$453

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $453 per month in Medea vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Medea $453
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $778 per month in Medea vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Medea $778
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,103 per month in Medea vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Medea $1,103
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Medea is about 62% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medea and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Medea 67% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 DZD 258

$10.92 MX$203

-82.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.37 DZD 3,835

$43.37 MX$805

-34.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.80 DZD 514

$11.78 MX$219

-67.74%

Cappuccino

$0.36 DZD 49.22

$3.81 MX$70.7

-90.55%

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

$0.43 DZD 58.2

$1.28 MX$23.81

-66.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 DZD 27.71

$0.78 MX$14.54

-73.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 DZD 296

$3.17 MX$58.8

-30.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 DZD 295

$4.93 MX$91.7

-55.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 DZD 119

$1.41 MX$26.12

-37.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.08 DZD 10.18

$2.22 MX$41.17

-96.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 DZD 148

$1.42 MX$26.32

-22.54%

Eggs

$1.19 DZD 161

$2.52 MX$46.85

-52.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.91 DZD 1,069

$7.26 MX$135

8.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.93 DZD 531

$7.70 MX$143

-48.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 DZD 1,959

$12.69 MX$236

14.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 DZD 275

$2.78 MX$51.7

-26.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 DZD 374

$1.37 MX$25.41

102.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 DZD 144

$2.55 MX$47.37

-58.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 DZD 80.7

$2.12 MX$39.43

-71.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 DZD 83.2

$1.94 MX$36.00

-68.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 DZD 66.0

$1.89 MX$35.02

-74.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 DZD 110

$1.15 MX$21.29

-29.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 DZD 36.52

$1.18 MX$21.89

-77.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.16 DZD 292

$4.30 MX$79.8

-49.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.84 DZD 924

$9.95 MX$185

-31.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 DZD 172

$1.58 MX$29.41

-18.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 DZD 253

$2.67 MX$49.60

-29.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 DZD 30.49

$0.55 MX$10.28

-58.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.89 DZD 932

$26.62 MX$494

-74.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.54 DZD 73.6

$4.97 MX$92.3

-89.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 DZD 62.3

$3.33 MX$61.9

-86.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.55 DZD 750

$5.36 MX$99.5

3.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.32 DZD 43.89

$1.44 MX$26.82

-77.78%

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

$19.7K DZD 2.7M

$20.7K MX$383.8K

-4.75%

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

$34.4K DZD 4.7M

$23.5K MX$435.8K

46.77%

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

$18.29 DZD 2,472

$84.8 MX$1,575

-78.43%

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

$7.51 DZD 1,015

$23.41 MX$435

-67.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.12 DZD 1,638

$28.66 MX$532

-57.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.61 DZD 3,056

$57.1 MX$1,059

-60.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.89 DZD 256

$28.91 MX$537

-93.46%

Cinema Ticket

$3.27 DZD 442

$5.14 MX$95.4

-36.38%

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

$39.39 DZD 5,325

$207 MX$3,836

-80.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,300 DZD 851.5K

$3,927 MX$72.9K

60.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.54 DZD 2,641

$43.35 MX$805

-54.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.20 DZD 4,216

$41.44 MX$770

-24.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$31.23 DZD 4,221

$74.2 MX$1,378

-57.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 DZD 7,414

$89.3 MX$1,657

-38.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$141 DZD 19.1K

$980 MX$18.2K

-85.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.6 DZD 12.4K

$381 MX$7,072

-75.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$268 DZD 36.2K

$1,708 MX$31.7K

-84.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 DZD 26.7K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-81.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$990 DZD 133.7K

$3,943 MX$73.2K

-74.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,059 DZD 143.1K

$6,158 MX$114.4K

-82.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$311 DZD 42.1K

$735 MX$13.6K

-57.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-56.33%

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

Last update for Medea: 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

Medea

$173 38.2%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 47.6% $82

Accommodation & Living

Medea

$92 20.3%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 316% $289

Clothing & Footwear

Medea

$62 13.6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 81.4% $50

Eating Out

Medea

$49 10.8%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 314% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medea

$38 8.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 261% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Medea

$29 6.4%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 131% $38

Getting Around

Medea

$11 2.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 374% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $141 in Medea versus $980 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.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 2.4 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Medea versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $173 vs $255 – making Medea the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇿 Medea

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

08:30 8:30 AM

02:30 2:30 AM

6 h behind Medea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,355

149,923

💱 Currency

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 DZD = 7.4 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.61 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.4 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.61 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to DZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medea Playa del Carmen 8,660 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Medea
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 166%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $679 per month in Medea and $1,806 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 Medea, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $141 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Medea and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $453 in Medea and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Medea about 62% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Medea, where all-in costs run around $453, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Medea it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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