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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,167 in Algeciras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,862 in Algeciras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,557 in Algeciras.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 14% more expensive than in Algeciras, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Algeciras 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$8.76 €7.49

48.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$37.41 €32.00

23.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$6.81 €5.83

84.88%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$1.69 €1.45

136.69%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$1.34 €1.14

5.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$1.17 €1.00

-30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$2.70 €2.31

12.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$4.15 €3.55

64.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.26 €1.08

35.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$1.23 €1.05

80.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.71 €1.46

0.58%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$3.46 €2.96

-21.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$11.11 €9.50

-15.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$7.75 €6.63

14.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$14.63 €12.51

-12.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$2.32 €1.99

34.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$2.07 €1.77

-25.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$1.81 €1.55

18.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$2.16 €1.85

8.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$1.65 €1.41

22.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$1.37 €1.17

45.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$1.05 €0.90

18.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.64 €0.54

85.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$6.50 €5.56

-28.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$5.01 €4.29

108.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$1.18 €1.01

33.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$1.67 €1.43

74.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$1.58 €1.35

-64.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$4.08 €3.49

30.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$1.46 €1.25

154.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$29.32 €25.08

-80.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.63 €1.40

-4.91%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$31.3K €26.8K

-28.62%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$30.5K €26.1K

-16.07%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$87.5 €74.8

2.09%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$11.77 €10.07

97.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$30.57 €26.15

3.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$36.49 €31.21

88.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$10.19 €8.71

-50.34%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$363 €310

-38.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$8,339 €7,133

-48.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$67.3 €57.5

-31.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$34.05 €29.12

30.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$132 €113

-27.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$139 €119

-33.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$474 €406

125.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$410 €351

-4.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$977 €836

103.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$858 €734

52.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$2,169 €1,856

86.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$1,777 €1,520

273.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$1,887 €1,614

-60.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

3.43

238.19%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Algeciras: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $474 in Algeciras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Algeciras pays 153% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $37.00 in Algeciras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $242 per month, with Algeciras 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

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

Playa del Carmen and Algeciras differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,330 vs $1,167 including rent). Algeciras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 153% lower in Algeciras. 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $474 in Algeciras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Playa del Carmen versus $363 in Algeciras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Algeciras – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $46.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,167 in Algeciras versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Algeciras but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Algeciras the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Algeciras are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Algeciras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.