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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $466 in Aswan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $719 in Aswan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $972 in Aswan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 170% more than Aswan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Aswan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Aswan 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$5.08 E£259

136.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$727

$8.24 E£420

407.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$3.70 E£189

190.54%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.8

$0.96 E£48.85

264.58%

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

$1.45 MX$25.21

$0.27 E£13.58

437.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.40

$0.11 E£5.39

700.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.16 E£59.4

154.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.5

$2.99 E£153

50.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.92

$0.91 E£46.51

57.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.98

$0.57 E£29.29

222.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.30

$0.65 E£33.13

141.54%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.72

$1.45 E£73.8

73.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$3.40 E£173

143.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.35 E£222

93.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$8.81 E£449

21.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.40

$1.41 E£72.1

85.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.03

$0.54 E£27.61

166.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.15

$0.43 E£21.68

355.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.45

$0.37 E£18.81

464.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.22

$0.41 E£20.74

351.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.72

$0.44 E£22.46

393.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.95

$0.24 E£12.28

329.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.69

$0.20 E£10.29

435.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.91 E£97.4

114.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$7.12 E£363

42.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.15

$1.31 E£66.8

28.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.96

$1.85 E£94.3

36.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.86

$0.18 E£9.11

183.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.42 E£21.24

669.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.86

$0.31 E£15.89

677.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.97 E£100

63.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.99

$0.33 E£16.99

300.00%

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

$29.7K MX$516.8K

$35.9K E£1.8M

-17.37%

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

$23.7K MX$411.8K

$33.7K E£1.7M

-29.73%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$12.00 E£611

583.42%

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

$22.95 MX$399

$6.60 E£337

247.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$10.42 E£531

188.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$904

$22.49 E£1,146

131.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$322

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$3.01 E£153

65.45%

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

$197 MX$3,436

$88.9 E£4,530

122.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$1,876 E£95.6K

184.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$619

$27.72 E£1,413

28.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$47.68 E£2,430

-15.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,370

$109 E£5,554

-27.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,548

$51.3 E£2,613

73.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$191 E£9,716

396.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,249

$99.9 E£5,092

374.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$307 E£15.7K

435.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$180 E£9,157

573.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$892 E£45.5K

354.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.6K

$425 E£21.7K

1420.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

16.67

-31.49%

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 Aswan: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $191 in Aswan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $8.00 in Aswan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $125 – making Aswan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Aswan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 170%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $698 in Aswan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aswan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $8.00 in Aswan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 98% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Aswan, where all-in costs run around $466, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Aswan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Aswan – 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 Aswan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.