Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Annaba

For one person, living is cheaper in Annaba: $600 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Annaba
🇩🇿 Algeria
$600
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Annaba

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Annaba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $600 in Annaba.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,210
  • Annaba $600

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Playa del Carmen versus $978 in Annaba.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,113
  • Annaba $978

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,356 in Annaba.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,016
  • Annaba $1,356

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 102% more expensive than in Annaba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Annaba 56% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Annaba
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.76 MX$199
$2.84 DZD 380
278.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.03 MX$795
$31.75 DZD 4,250
35.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$218
$6.26 DZD 838
88.34%
Cappuccino
$3.87 MX$71.4
$0.67 DZD 90.2
477.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 MX$25.29
$0.76 DZD 102
80.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 MX$15.44
$0.26 DZD 34.88
223.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.10 MX$57.3
$1.67 DZD 224
85.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.07 MX$93.6
$2.48 DZD 332
104.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Annaba
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.55
$0.89 DZD 119
61.80%
White Bread (500g)
$2.23 MX$41.23
$0.25 DZD 33.43
792.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$1.56 DZD 209
-5.77%
Eggs
$2.53 MX$46.71
$1.89 DZD 253
33.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.30 MX$135
$6.11 DZD 819
19.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.86 MX$145
$4.81 DZD 643
63.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.79 MX$236
$19.77 DZD 2,647
-35.31%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.6
$2.02 DZD 271
43.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.53
$3.30 DZD 441
-56.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.07
$1.12 DZD 150
127.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.06 MX$38.03
$0.70 DZD 94.4
194.29%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 MX$36.97
$0.65 DZD 87.3
207.69%
Onion (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.07
$0.40 DZD 53.4
402.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 MX$22.02
$0.50 DZD 66.6
138.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 MX$23.23
$0.36 DZD 47.65
250.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.40 MX$81.4
$2.96 DZD 397
48.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.59 MX$177
$6.22 DZD 833
54.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.41
$1.28 DZD 172
24.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 MX$51.9
$1.96 DZD 263
43.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Annaba
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.57 MX$10.47
$0.15 DZD 20.52
280.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.82 MX$514
$6.64 DZD 889
318.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.98 MX$92.1
$0.55 DZD 73.8
805.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.50 MX$64.6
$0.38 DZD 51.1
821.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.40 MX$99.8
$5.37 DZD 719
0.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.08
$0.36 DZD 48.40
308.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$387.8K
$31.3K DZD 4.2M
-32.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K MX$441.8K
$33.6K DZD 4.5M
-28.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Annaba
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.2 MX$1,556
$49.21 DZD 6,588
71.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.99 MX$443
$8.55 DZD 1,145
180.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.02 MX$536
$20.22 DZD 2,708
43.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Annaba
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.0 MX$1,164
$21.18 DZD 2,835
197.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.14 MX$539
$4.59 DZD 614
534.86%
Cinema Ticket
$4.94 MX$91.3
$6.22 DZD 833
-20.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Annaba
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$204 MX$3,763
$37.38 DZD 5,005
444.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,941 MX$72.8K
$4,801 DZD 642.8K
-17.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Annaba
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.60 MX$806
$31.86 DZD 4,265
36.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.12 MX$797
$40.11 DZD 5,370
7.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.8 MX$1,400
$67.1 DZD 8,977
13.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.6 MX$1,637
$82.2 DZD 11.0K
7.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Annaba
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 MX$18.6K
$165 DZD 22.1K
510.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$374 MX$6,911
$116 DZD 15.5K
222.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.6K
$285 DZD 38.2K
499.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,106 MX$20.4K
$199 DZD 26.6K
457.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,944 MX$72.9K
$891 DZD 119.3K
342.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,169 MX$114.0K
$601 DZD 80.4K
926.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Annaba
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$754 MX$13.9K
$301 DZD 40.3K
150.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
5.75
99.13%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Annaba: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$374
Annaba
$116 69% $258
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Annaba
$197 24% $62
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Annaba
$67 66.9% $135
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Annaba
$78 43.2% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$113
Annaba
$100 11.9% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$73
Annaba
$34 53.9% $39
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$53
Annaba
$9.7 81.5% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen and $165 in Annaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 151% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $32.00 in Annaba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $197 per month, with Annaba cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇩🇿 Annaba
🕒 Local time
12:48 12:48 PM
18:48 6:48 PM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
257,359
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Annaba 9,060 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Annaba

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
Playa del Carmen vs Annaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Annaba cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Annaba is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Playa del Carmen or Annaba?
Average pay runs 151% 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.
What is the rent difference between Playa del Carmen and Annaba?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $165 in Annaba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Annaba runs roughly 319% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $204 in Playa del Carmen versus $37.38 in Annaba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Annaba?
At $600 in Annaba versus $1,210 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.
Is Playa del Carmen or Annaba more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Playa del Carmen or Annaba?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Annaba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% 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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