Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ouargla and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Ouargla: $524 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Ouargla, Algeria
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Ouargla
🇩🇿 Algeria
$524
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $524 in Ouargla versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Ouargla $524
  • Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $852 in Ouargla versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Ouargla $852
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,180 in Ouargla versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Ouargla $1,180
  • Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Ouargla costs roughly 56% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ouargla 61% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ouargla
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.18 DZD 431
$10.67 MX$198
-70.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$17.00 DZD 2,303
$43.80 MX$813
-61.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.89 DZD 527
$11.79 MX$219
-67.01%
Cappuccino
$0.69 DZD 92.9
$3.79 MX$70.3
-81.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 DZD 79.9
$1.30 MX$24.07
-54.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.24 DZD 32.30
$0.83 MX$15.47
-71.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.53 DZD 207
$3.15 MX$58.4
-51.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 DZD 300
$4.93 MX$91.6
-55.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ouargla
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.88 DZD 119
$1.41 MX$26.14
-37.59%
White Bread (500g)
$0.14 DZD 19.15
$2.20 MX$40.75
-93.64%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.16 DZD 157
$1.47 MX$27.33
-21.09%
Eggs
$1.19 DZD 161
$2.50 MX$46.34
-52.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.90 DZD 1,071
$7.29 MX$135
8.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.92 DZD 530
$7.95 MX$148
-50.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.40 DZD 1,950
$12.86 MX$239
11.98%
Apples (1kg)
$2.11 DZD 286
$2.90 MX$53.8
-27.24%
Banana (1kg)
$2.78 DZD 377
$1.38 MX$25.67
101.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.06 DZD 144
$2.49 MX$46.23
-57.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.97 DZD 132
$2.03 MX$37.67
-52.22%
Potato (1kg)
$0.58 DZD 79.2
$2.02 MX$37.58
-71.29%
Onion (1kg)
$0.45 DZD 61.2
$1.90 MX$35.32
-76.32%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.70 DZD 95.4
$1.14 MX$21.24
-38.60%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.27 DZD 36.95
$1.24 MX$22.99
-78.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.57 DZD 348
$4.27 MX$79.3
-39.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.64 DZD 899
$9.81 MX$182
-32.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 DZD 166
$1.59 MX$29.43
-22.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 DZD 254
$2.75 MX$51.0
-32.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Ouargla
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.22 DZD 29.79
$0.51 MX$9.56
-56.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$6.84 DZD 927
$27.39 MX$508
-75.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.59 DZD 79.4
$4.76 MX$88.4
-87.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.40 DZD 54.8
$3.25 MX$60.3
-87.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.18 DZD 702
$5.39 MX$100
-3.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.33 DZD 44.42
$1.53 MX$28.36
-78.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.8K DZD 4.3M
$21.2K MX$393.7K
49.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.9K DZD 4.7M
$23.3K MX$431.7K
49.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ouargla
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$35.65 DZD 4,830
$83.5 MX$1,549
-57.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.06 DZD 1,227
$23.19 MX$430
-60.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.52 DZD 1,696
$27.61 MX$512
-54.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ouargla
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$21.99 DZD 2,979
$56.4 MX$1,047
-61.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.19 MX$523
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.60 DZD 623
$5.00 MX$92.8
-8.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ouargla
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$330 DZD 44.7K
$207 MX$3,843
59.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,832 DZD 654.5K
$5,231 MX$97.1K
-7.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ouargla
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$31.98 DZD 4,332
$43.45 MX$806
-26.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.27 DZD 4,642
$42.54 MX$789
-19.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$69.6 DZD 9,427
$72.8 MX$1,350
-4.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 DZD 10.8K
$88.4 MX$1,640
-10.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ouargla
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$141 DZD 19.1K
$995 MX$18.5K
-85.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$93.2 DZD 12.6K
$382 MX$7,097
-75.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$270 DZD 36.6K
$1,674 MX$31.1K
-83.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$199 DZD 27.0K
$1,081 MX$20.1K
-81.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$959 DZD 129.9K
$3,909 MX$72.5K
-75.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,058 DZD 143.3K
$6,138 MX$113.9K
-82.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ouargla
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$832 MX$15.4K
-
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 Ouargla: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Ouargla
$174
Playa del Carmen
$257 47.7% $83
Clothing & Footwear
Ouargla
$97
Playa del Carmen
$111 14.8% $14
Accommodation & Living
Ouargla
$93
Playa del Carmen
$382 310% $289
Eating Out
Ouargla
$61
Playa del Carmen
$200 230% $140
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ouargla
$57
Playa del Carmen
$134 135% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Ouargla
$31
Playa del Carmen
$66 113% $35
Getting Around
Ouargla
$10
Playa del Carmen
$50 388% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $141 in Ouargla and $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $17 in Ouargla vs $44 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $174 vs $257 per month, with Ouargla cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇩🇿 Ouargla
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
15:09 3:09 PM
09:09 9:09 AM
6 h behind Ouargla
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
133,024
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to DZD – Algerian Dinar Converter

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.38 USD). 1 EUR = 152 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.57 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.56 MXN (100 MXN = 5.39 USD). 1 EUR = 20.85 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ouargla Playa del Carmen 9,030 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ouargla
  • 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
Ouargla vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ouargla or Playa del Carmen?
Ouargla wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ouargla the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ouargla and in Playa del Carmen?
You’d need roughly $786 in Ouargla and $1,804 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ouargla compared to Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $141 in Ouargla versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Ouargla compared to Playa del Carmen?
A monthly transit pass in Ouargla runs roughly 75% less than in Playa del Carmen. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Ouargla and in Playa del Carmen?
Childcare runs $330 in Ouargla versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $800/month in Ouargla or in Playa del Carmen?
At $524 in Ouargla versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, a $800 budget is realistic in Ouargla but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ouargla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Ouargla or Playa del Carmen?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ouargla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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