Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mostaganem and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Mostaganem: $530 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Mostaganem
🇩🇿 Algeria
$530
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $530 per month in Mostaganem vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Mostaganem $530
  • Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $858 per month in Mostaganem vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Mostaganem $858
  • Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $1,186 per month in Mostaganem vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Mostaganem $1,186
  • Playa del Carmen $3,016

Mostaganem is about 56% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mostaganem and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Mostaganem 61% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mostaganem
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.42 DZD 457
$10.76 MX$197
-68.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$26.46 DZD 3,542
$43.03 MX$787
-38.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.26 DZD 570
$11.79 MX$216
-63.87%
Cappuccino
$1.13 DZD 152
$3.87 MX$70.7
-70.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 DZD 78.9
$1.37 MX$25.03
-56.93%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 DZD 35.94
$0.84 MX$15.29
-67.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.17 DZD 291
$3.10 MX$56.7
-30.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 DZD 301
$5.07 MX$92.7
-55.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mostaganem
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.79 DZD 106
$1.44 MX$26.28
-45.14%
White Bread (500g)
$0.15 DZD 19.60
$2.23 MX$40.81
-93.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.11 DZD 148
$1.47 MX$26.89
-24.49%
Eggs
$1.24 DZD 166
$2.53 MX$46.24
-50.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.80 DZD 509
$7.30 MX$134
-47.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.87 DZD 518
$7.86 MX$144
-50.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.14 DZD 1,893
$12.79 MX$234
10.56%
Apples (1kg)
$2.04 DZD 273
$2.90 MX$53.1
-29.66%
Banana (1kg)
$2.74 DZD 367
$1.44 MX$26.26
90.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.11 DZD 149
$2.55 MX$46.59
-56.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.72 DZD 96.3
$2.06 MX$37.64
-65.05%
Potato (1kg)
$0.35 DZD 46.69
$2.00 MX$36.60
-82.50%
Onion (1kg)
$0.27 DZD 36.20
$2.01 MX$36.69
-86.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.80 DZD 107
$1.19 MX$21.79
-32.77%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.27 DZD 36.40
$1.26 MX$22.99
-78.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.50 DZD 334
$4.40 MX$80.6
-43.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.62 DZD 887
$9.59 MX$175
-30.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 DZD 163
$1.59 MX$29.12
-23.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 DZD 247
$2.81 MX$51.4
-34.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Mostaganem
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 DZD 38.65
$0.57 MX$10.36
-49.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$6.51 DZD 871
$27.82 MX$509
-76.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.54 DZD 71.7
$4.98 MX$91.2
-89.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.46 DZD 61.9
$3.50 MX$64.0
-86.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.25 DZD 301
$5.40 MX$98.8
-58.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.23 DZD 30.79
$1.47 MX$26.80
-84.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.2K DZD 4.7M
$21.0K MX$383.9K
67.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.2K DZD 4.6M
$23.9K MX$437.3K
43.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mostaganem
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$35.56 DZD 4,761
$84.2 MX$1,540
-57.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.09 DZD 949
$23.99 MX$439
-70.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.47 DZD 1,669
$29.02 MX$531
-57.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mostaganem
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$22.27 DZD 2,982
$63.0 MX$1,152
-64.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$29.14 MX$533
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.36 DZD 584
$4.94 MX$90.4
-11.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mostaganem
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$73.0 DZD 9,776
$204 MX$3,725
-64.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,224 DZD 833.2K
$3,941 MX$72.1K
57.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mostaganem
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$32.68 DZD 4,374
$43.60 MX$798
-25.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.98 DZD 4,548
$43.12 MX$789
-21.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$69.2 DZD 9,260
$75.8 MX$1,386
-8.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.9 DZD 10.7K
$88.6 MX$1,620
-9.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mostaganem
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$143 DZD 19.1K
$1,008 MX$18.4K
-85.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$106 DZD 14.1K
$374 MX$6,841
-71.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$239 DZD 32.0K
$1,708 MX$31.3K
-86.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$179 DZD 23.9K
$1,106 MX$20.2K
-83.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$957 DZD 128.1K
$3,944 MX$72.2K
-75.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,071 DZD 143.4K
$6,169 MX$112.8K
-82.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mostaganem
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$226 DZD 30.3K
$754 MX$13.8K
-69.98%
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 Mostaganem: October 10, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Mostaganem
$158
Playa del Carmen
$258 63.9% $101
Accommodation & Living
Mostaganem
$106
Playa del Carmen
$374 254% $268
Clothing & Footwear
Mostaganem
$97
Playa del Carmen
$113 16.4% $16
Eating Out
Mostaganem
$72
Playa del Carmen
$202 179% $130
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mostaganem
$55
Playa del Carmen
$137 149% $82
Sport & Entertainment
Mostaganem
$31
Playa del Carmen
$73 135% $42
Getting Around
Mostaganem
$11
Playa del Carmen
$53 400% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $143 in Mostaganem versus $1,008 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 run about 233% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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 $26.00 in Mostaganem versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $158 vs $258 – making Mostaganem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇩🇿 Mostaganem
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
19:12 7:12 PM
13:12 1:12 PM
6 h behind Mostaganem
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
145,696
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to DZD – Algerian Dinar Converter

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 149 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.69 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 18.29 MXN (100 MXN = 5.47 USD). 1 EUR = 20.42 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mostaganem Playa del Carmen 8,440 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mostaganem
  • 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
Mostaganem vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Mostaganem and in Playa del Carmen compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $530 in Mostaganem, $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 129% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Mostaganem compared to Playa del Carmen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $794 per month in Mostaganem and $1,816 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Mostaganem and Playa del Carmen?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mostaganem, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Mostaganem or Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $530 in Mostaganem and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 129%.
How do commuting costs compare in Mostaganem and in Playa del Carmen?
Public transport costs about 327% less in Mostaganem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mostaganem, where all-in costs run around $530, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Mostaganem it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Mostaganem and Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $530 in Mostaganem to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Mostaganem or Playa del Carmen safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Mostaganem and Playa del Carmen?
If budget matters most, go with Mostaganem. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Mostaganem vs other spots: cost of living compared

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