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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $660 in Annaba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,076 in Annaba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,493 in Annaba.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 90% more expensive than in Annaba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$2.97 DZD 393

303.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$32.44 DZD 4,298

28.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.53 DZD 865

64.62%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.47 DZD 195

138.10%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.73 DZD 97.0

98.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.27 DZD 35.94

225.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.91 DZD 253

54.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.42 DZD 320

86.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.05 DZD 139

36.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.30 DZD 39.83

513.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.72 DZD 228

-8.72%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.10 DZD 278

19.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$6.19 DZD 820

33.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.75 DZD 630

77.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$20.39 DZD 2,702

-47.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$3.10 DZD 410

-15.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$3.54 DZD 469

-59.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.75 DZD 232

12.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.74 DZD 97.9

182.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.66 DZD 87.0

180.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.40 DZD 53.1

442.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.50 DZD 66.9

106.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.33 DZD 44.32

224.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.21 DZD 425

27.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$7.84 DZD 1,039

29.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.35 DZD 179

24.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.07 DZD 275

22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.17 DZD 21.88

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$17.73 DZD 2,349

46.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.70 DZD 92.6

361.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.34 DZD 44.61

608.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$5.16 DZD 684

-37.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.38 DZD 50.1

247.37%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$32.2K DZD 4.3M

-7.73%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$33.2K DZD 4.4M

-28.64%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$50.3 DZD 6,666

63.04%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$10.95 DZD 1,451

109.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$23.20 DZD 3,075

29.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$23.68 DZD 3,138

119.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$4.56 DZD 605

306.36%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$1.98 DZD 263

151.52%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$39.05 DZD 5,175

405.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$3,593 DZD 476.1K

48.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$58.6 DZD 7,759

-39.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$42.20 DZD 5,593

-4.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$69.5 DZD 9,209

13.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$86.1 DZD 11.4K

3.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$173 DZD 23.0K

446.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$122 DZD 16.2K

287.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$295 DZD 39.0K

458.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$209 DZD 27.7K

479.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$934 DZD 123.7K

334.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$625 DZD 82.8K

934.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$310 DZD 41.0K

111.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.75

98.61%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Annaba: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $173 in Annaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 111% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $32.00 in Annaba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $215 per month, with Annaba 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 Annaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Annaba is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 111% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $173 in Annaba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Annaba runs roughly 47% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $39.05 in Annaba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $660 in Annaba versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Annaba but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Annaba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Annaba is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Annaba 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 Annaba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.