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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $461 in Aswan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $716 in Aswan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $972 in Aswan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 181% more than Aswan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Aswan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Aswan 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$5.05 E£261

132.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$719

$8.34 E£432

399.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$3.77 E£195

182.23%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.8

$0.93 E£47.94

278.49%

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

$1.51 MX$26.09

$0.27 E£13.82

459.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.82

$0.09 E£4.40

977.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.21 E£62.7

143.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.98 E£154

49.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$0.85 E£43.80

62.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.69

$0.58 E£30.25

225.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.29

$0.70 E£36.05

134.29%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.30

$1.38 E£71.7

81.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.43 E£177

143.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.21 E£218

98.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$185

$8.54 E£442

25.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.00

$1.47 E£75.9

76.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.18

$0.59 E£30.44

147.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.84

$0.39 E£20.30

387.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.88

$0.37 E£18.98

462.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.68

$0.40 E£20.80

345.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.76

$0.40 E£20.80

447.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.97

$0.24 E£12.44

333.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.19 E£10.09

468.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.5

$1.91 E£99.1

113.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$5.99 E£310

72.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.59

$1.32 E£68.2

29.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.50

$1.85 E£95.6

39.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.16 E£8.08

218.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.41 E£21.39

695.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.05

$0.29 E£14.93

758.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.93 E£99.7

68.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.59

$0.33 E£17.24

296.97%

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

$30.3K MX$523.2K

$36.1K E£1.9M

-16.08%

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

$23.4K MX$404.9K

$32.8K E£1.7M

-28.67%

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

$82.9 MX$1,432

$11.93 E£618

594.64%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$6.56 E£340

238.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$10.50 E£544

179.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$892

$22.32 E£1,155

131.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.5

$2.88 E£149

76.04%

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

$201 MX$3,470

$88.7 E£4,591

126.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$1,846 E£95.6K

182.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$638

$27.66 E£1,432

33.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$49.00 E£2,537

-18.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,356

$108 E£5,588

-27.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,505

$51.0 E£2,641

70.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$191 E£9,897

408.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,082

$99.0 E£5,122

372.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$304 E£15.7K

439.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$181 E£9,366

574.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.2K

$766 E£39.7K

414.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

$429 E£22.2K

1415.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Aswan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 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 $121 – 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 181%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $692 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 105% 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 $461, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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.