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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $668 in Nabeul versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,058 in Nabeul versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,448 in Nabeul versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Nabeul costs roughly 48% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nabeul 51% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.21 TND 12.22

$11.71 MX$199

-64.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.78 TND 63.2

$46.59 MX$791

-53.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 TND 15.12

$11.65 MX$198

-55.28%

Cappuccino

$1.15 TND 3.35

$4.09 MX$69.5

-71.88%

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

$0.59 TND 1.71

$1.37 MX$23.34

-56.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 TND 1.56

$0.83 MX$14.16

-34.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.60 TND 4.64

$3.35 MX$56.9

-52.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 TND 4.84

$6.91 MX$117

-75.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.47 TND 1.36

$1.73 MX$29.33

-72.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.23 TND 0.66

$2.26 MX$38.39

-89.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 TND 4.03

$1.77 MX$30.05

-21.47%

Eggs

$1.59 TND 4.61

$2.73 MX$46.41

-41.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.11 TND 35.14

$9.18 MX$156

31.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.78 TND 16.77

$8.92 MX$151

-35.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.44 TND 41.91

$12.60 MX$214

14.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 TND 5.77

$3.02 MX$51.3

-34.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.72 TND 10.80

$1.57 MX$26.68

136.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 TND 3.10

$2.13 MX$36.10

-49.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.75 TND 2.17

$2.26 MX$38.46

-66.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 TND 1.88

$2.00 MX$34.04

-67.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 TND 2.40

$2.06 MX$35.06

-59.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 TND 1.49

$1.18 MX$20.04

-56.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 TND 0.94

$1.20 MX$20.45

-73.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.53 TND 10.26

$4.63 MX$78.7

-23.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.67 TND 19.38

$10.69 MX$182

-37.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 TND 3.35

$1.62 MX$27.50

-28.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 TND 3.24

$2.88 MX$48.93

-61.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 TND 2.35

$0.57 MX$9.74

42.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$507

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.30 TND 0.88

$5.45 MX$92.5

-94.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 TND 1.03

$3.70 MX$62.9

-90.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.54 TND 21.89

$5.98 MX$102

26.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 TND 2.41

$1.55 MX$26.38

-46.45%

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

$41.5K TND 120.4K

$22.3K MX$379.2K

85.82%

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

$36.4K TND 105.7K

$25.9K MX$440.7K

40.25%

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

$46.20 TND 134

$89.1 MX$1,514

-48.17%

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

$9.62 TND 27.94

$25.04 MX$425

-61.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.71 TND 60.1

$31.50 MX$535

-34.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.42 TND 88.3

$67.8 MX$1,151

-55.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.22 TND 41.28

$28.92 MX$491

-50.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.72 TND 13.71

$5.05 MX$85.8

-6.53%

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

$84.4 TND 245

$225 MX$3,820

-62.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,464 TND 7,153

$4,222 MX$71.7K

-41.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.13 TND 114

$47.44 MX$806

-17.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.13 TND 108

$44.98 MX$764

-17.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 TND 286

$82.0 MX$1,392

20.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.4 TND 198

$92.1 MX$1,564

-25.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$234 TND 679

$1,069 MX$18.2K

-78.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$160 TND 464

$405 MX$6,884

-60.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$381 TND 1,105

$1,935 MX$32.9K

-80.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 TND 810

$1,301 MX$22.1K

-78.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$870 TND 2,527

$3,995 MX$67.9K

-78.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$830 TND 2,410

$6,626 MX$112.5K

-87.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$268 TND 777

$749 MX$12.7K

-64.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.33

11.45

-9.78%

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

Last update for Nabeul: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $234 in Nabeul and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 180% 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: $22.00 in Nabeul vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $277 per month, with Nabeul 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

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

Nabeul wins on cost – living expenses run 94% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nabeul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 180% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $234 in Nabeul versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $84.4 in Nabeul versus $225 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nabeul – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $668 in Nabeul versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nabeul but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Nabeul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nabeul delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $668 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nabeul hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Nabeul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.