Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ouarzazate and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Ouarzazate: $706 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Ouarzazate
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Ouarzazate Living Index
58

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

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Ouarzazate

🇲🇦 Morocco

$706

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $706 per month in Ouarzazate vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ouarzazate $706
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,099 per month in Ouarzazate vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ouarzazate $1,099
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,492 per month in Ouarzazate vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ouarzazate $1,492
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Ouarzazate is about 41% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ouarzazate and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Ouarzazate 48% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.93 MAD 38.58

$10.92 MX$205

-64.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.65 MAD 301

$43.37 MX$814

-29.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 MAD 59.2

$11.78 MX$221

-48.90%

Cappuccino

$2.47 MAD 24.29

$3.81 MX$71.5

-35.17%

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

$0.56 MAD 5.46

$1.28 MX$24.07

-56.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MAD 3.60

$0.78 MX$14.70

-52.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.56 MAD 64.5

$3.17 MX$59.5

106.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 MAD 54.8

$4.93 MX$92.7

13.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 MAD 7.81

$1.41 MX$26.40

-43.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 MAD 8.38

$2.22 MX$41.62

-61.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MAD 14.43

$1.42 MX$26.61

3.52%

Eggs

$1.52 MAD 14.95

$2.52 MX$47.36

-39.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.64 MAD 75.1

$7.26 MX$136

5.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MAD 43.69

$7.70 MX$144

-42.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.29 MAD 111

$12.69 MX$238

-11.03%

Apples (1kg)

$0.74 MAD 7.32

$2.78 MX$52.3

-73.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 MAD 12.34

$1.37 MX$25.68

-8.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.64 MAD 6.25

$2.55 MX$47.89

-74.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 7.03

$2.12 MX$39.86

-66.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 MAD 6.45

$1.94 MX$36.39

-65.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 MAD 7.38

$1.89 MX$35.41

-60.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.23 MAD 2.26

$1.15 MX$21.53

-80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 MAD 5.97

$1.18 MX$22.13

-48.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 MAD 39.23

$4.30 MX$80.6

-7.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 MAD 75.5

$9.95 MX$187

-22.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 MAD 21.92

$1.58 MX$29.73

41.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 MAD 33.27

$2.67 MX$50.1

26.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MAD 4.94

$0.55 MX$10.39

-9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MAD 183

$26.62 MX$500

-29.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 MAD 5.19

$4.97 MX$93.3

-89.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 MAD 6.10

$3.33 MX$62.5

-81.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.09 MAD 69.7

$5.36 MX$101

32.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 MAD 13.84

$1.44 MX$27.11

-2.08%

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

$30.1K MAD 296.4K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

45.90%

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

$30.9K MAD 303.6K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

31.64%

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

$35.09 MAD 345

$84.8 MX$1,592

-58.62%

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

$4.96 MAD 48.75

$23.41 MX$439

-78.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.40 MAD 250

$28.66 MX$538

-11.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.27 MAD 248

$57.1 MX$1,071

-55.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.98 MAD 177

$28.91 MX$543

-37.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 MAD 63.0

$5.14 MX$96.5

24.71%

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

$98.6 MAD 969

$207 MX$3,878

-52.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,270 MAD 81.3K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

110.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.20 MAD 307

$43.35 MX$814

-28.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.88 MAD 431

$41.44 MX$778

5.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 MAD 790

$74.2 MX$1,393

8.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.7 MAD 783

$89.3 MX$1,676

-10.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 MAD 2,730

$980 MX$18.4K

-71.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 MAD 1,732

$381 MX$7,150

-53.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 MAD 5,105

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-69.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MAD 2,606

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-75.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,196 MAD 11.8K

$3,943 MX$74.0K

-69.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$828 MAD 8,134

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-86.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$201 MAD 1,979

$735 MX$13.8K

-72.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

11.45

-60.70%

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

Last update for Ouarzazate: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ouarzazate

$176 24.9%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 116% $205

Groceries & Markets

Ouarzazate

$170 24%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 50.1% $85

Eating Out

Ouarzazate

$127 17.9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 59.7% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Ouarzazate

$106 15%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 5.6% $5.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ouarzazate

$65 9.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 109% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Ouarzazate

$38 5.4%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 76.8% $29

Getting Around

Ouarzazate

$24 3.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 108% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $278 in Ouarzazate 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 3.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Ouarzazate versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $255 – making Ouarzazate the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Ouarzazate

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:57 9:57 AM

04:57 4:57 AM

5 h behind Ouarzazate

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,067

149,923

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.17 USD

100 MAD = 9.11 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham (د.م.)

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.83 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.98 MAD (100 MAD = 9.11 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to MAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ouarzazate Playa del Carmen 7,940 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Ouarzazate
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $706 in Ouarzazate, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Ouarzazate comes out roughly 41% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,059 per month in Ouarzazate 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 Ouarzazate, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $278 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Kindergarten costs $99 per month in Ouarzazate and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Ouarzazate, where all-in costs run around $706, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Ouarzazate it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ouarzazate – 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 Ouarzazate. 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.