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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $532 in Cairo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $856 in Cairo, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,181 in Cairo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 139% more than Cairo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Cairo are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Cairo 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$4.00 E£204

196.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$19.64 E£1,003

118.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.87 E£249

118.69%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.53 E£78.2

125.49%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.33 E£17.07

354.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.14 E£7.23

578.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.34 E£68.5

126.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.73 E£139

68.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.88 E£45.14

56.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.60 E£30.45

208.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.70 E£35.70

130.00%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.46 E£74.7

77.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$3.44 E£176

140.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.15 E£212

101.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.52 E£435

25.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.56 E£79.8

68.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.56 E£28.83

166.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.48 E£24.34

300.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.42 E£21.21

397.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.46 E£23.69

304.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.43 E£21.99

425.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.22 E£11.16

381.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.23 E£11.68

373.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.01 E£103

106.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$7.51 E£384

38.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.28 E£65.3

34.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.70 E£86.7

53.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.31 E£16.02

74.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$5.94 E£304

353.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.39 E£19.68

702.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.29 E£14.64

765.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$0.95 E£48.29

231.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.31 E£15.68

309.68%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$36.4K E£1.9M

-16.49%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$30.2K E£1.5M

-21.90%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$25.81 E£1,318

221.58%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$8.30 E£424

173.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$12.52 E£639

135.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$15.66 E£800

225.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$6.71 E£343

173.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.60 E£184

36.94%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$91.7 E£4,682

115.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$2,007 E£102.5K

163.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$31.34 E£1,600

17.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$43.96 E£2,245

-9.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$105 E£5,349

-23.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$59.8 E£3,053

49.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$202 E£10.3K

372.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$129 E£6,608

268.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$412 E£21.1K

299.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$251 E£12.8K

387.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$845 E£43.2K

363.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$470 E£24.0K

1274.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$188 E£9,626

253.88%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Cairo: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $202 in Cairo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 254% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $20.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $126 – making Cairo 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 Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 139%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $797 in Cairo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cairo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $20.00 in Cairo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $532, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cairo – 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 Cairo. 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.