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 $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $442 in Aswan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $732 in Aswan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,022 in Aswan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 193% more than Aswan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Aswan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Aswan 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$4.02 E£204

191.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$15.42 E£784

202.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$4.79 E£244

143.22%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$1.30 E£66.1

214.62%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.32 E£16.50

328.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.14 E£7.12

492.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$1.24 E£63.2

170.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$3.31 E£168

108.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$0.82 E£41.76

110.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$0.55 E£28.06

310.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$0.64 E£32.81

176.56%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$1.45 E£73.6

88.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$3.24 E£165

183.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$4.17 E£212

113.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$9.32 E£474

35.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$1.62 E£82.3

86.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$0.70 E£35.53

124.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$0.50 E£25.65

326.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$0.37 E£18.85

510.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$0.39 E£19.94

412.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$0.35 E£17.56

488.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.27 E£13.83

337.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.18 E£9.21

566.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$1.91 E£97.3

142.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$6.99 E£356

52.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$1.11 E£56.7

45.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$2.17 E£110

32.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.18 E£9.23

216.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$0.38 E£19.39

1334.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.24 E£12.32

1441.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$1.69 E£85.8

253.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$0.42 E£21.31

269.05%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$34.7K E£1.8M

-35.64%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$29.9K E£1.5M

-13.13%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$19.82 E£1,009

349.70%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$7.49 E£381

234.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$13.51 E£687

133.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$18.49 E£941

266.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$4.90 E£250

490.20%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$2.91 E£148

73.54%

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

$225 MX$3,802

$89.2 E£4,536

152.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$1,733 E£88.2K

143.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$18.47 E£940

156.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$41.68 E£2,121

7.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$107 E£5,460

-23.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$50.5 E£2,568

82.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$127 E£6,442

744.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

$89.5 E£4,553

352.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$244 E£12.4K

691.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$170 E£8,667

663.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$894 E£45.5K

346.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$507 E£25.8K

1205.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

16.21

-29.36%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Aswan: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $127 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $15.00 in Aswan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $126 – 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 193%, 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 $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $662 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $15.00 in Aswan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 120% 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 $442, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. 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.