Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bechar

For one person, living is cheaper in Bechar: $522 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Bechar
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Bechar Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Bechar

🇩🇿 Algeria

$522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Bechar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $522 in Bechar.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Bechar $522

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $867 in Bechar.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Bechar $867

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,211 in Bechar.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Bechar $1,211

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 131% more expensive than in Bechar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Bechar 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$3.63 DZD 488

200.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$17.19 DZD 2,314

152.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$4.20 DZD 566

180.48%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$0.71 DZD 95.7

436.62%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$0.56 DZD 75.5

128.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$0.26 DZD 34.44

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$1.45 DZD 196

118.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$2.02 DZD 272

144.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$0.91 DZD 123

54.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$0.15 DZD 20.32

1380.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$1.15 DZD 155

23.48%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$1.20 DZD 162

110.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$8.21 DZD 1,106

-11.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$4.02 DZD 541

91.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$14.12 DZD 1,902

-10.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$2.02 DZD 272

37.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$2.79 DZD 376

-50.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$1.11 DZD 149

129.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$0.92 DZD 123

130.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$0.58 DZD 77.7

234.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$0.46 DZD 62.0

310.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$0.71 DZD 96.1

61.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$0.25 DZD 34.30

372.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$2.69 DZD 362

59.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$6.43 DZD 865

54.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$1.42 DZD 191

11.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$1.76 DZD 237

51.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.26 DZD 34.62

111.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$5.92 DZD 797

349.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$0.52 DZD 70.2

855.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$0.48 DZD 65.0

593.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$5.88 DZD 792

-8.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$0.39 DZD 52.2

269.23%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$28.0K DZD 3.8M

-26.29%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$32.1K DZD 4.3M

-26.95%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$38.28 DZD 5,155

121.50%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$9.43 DZD 1,269

148.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$13.44 DZD 1,810

113.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$23.74 DZD 3,197

140.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$4.62 DZD 623

11.26%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$367 DZD 49.4K

-43.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$5,430 DZD 731.2K

-27.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$29.71 DZD 4,001

45.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$30.21 DZD 4,069

37.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$69.4 DZD 9,339

6.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$79.8 DZD 10.8K

11.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$123 DZD 16.6K

695.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$84.4 DZD 11.4K

351.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$283 DZD 38.1K

502.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$219 DZD 29.4K

391.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$941 DZD 126.8K

318.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$1,105 DZD 148.8K

457.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.3

116.04%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bechar: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Bechar

$84 16.2% 77.8% $296

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Bechar

$175 33.5% 31.3% $80

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Bechar

$65 12.4% 68% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Bechar

$61 11.7% 55.3% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Bechar

$94 18% 15.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Bechar

$33 6.3% 51% $34

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Bechar

$9.9 1.9% 80.4% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $123 in Bechar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $17 in Bechar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $175 per month, with Bechar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇩🇿 Bechar

🕒 Local time

17:10 5:10 PM

23:10 11:10 PM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

165,627

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.43 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.43 USD). 1 EUR = 150 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.67 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Bechar 8,360 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Bechar

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 Bechar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bechar wins on cost – living expenses run 57% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bechar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $783 in Bechar to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $123 in Bechar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bechar – a meal for two runs $17 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $522 in Bechar – Bechar is about 57% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $522 in Bechar versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $800 budget is realistic in Bechar but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bechar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Bechar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.