Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Chlef

For one person, living is cheaper in Chlef: $426 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Chlef
Learn more

Chlef Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Chlef

🇩🇿 Algeria

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $426 in Chlef, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Chlef $426

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $688 in Chlef, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Chlef $688

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $949 in Chlef, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Chlef $949

Playa del Carmen costs about 182% more than Chlef, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Chlef are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Chlef 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$200

$1.62 DZD 219

558.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$823

$27.56 DZD 3,733

58.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$221

$1.89 DZD 257

523.81%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$71.1

$0.91 DZD 123

316.48%

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

$1.30 MX$24.36

$0.44 DZD 60.3

195.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.65

$0.23 DZD 31.10

260.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$59.1

$1.08 DZD 147

191.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$2.17 DZD 294

127.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.46

$0.53 DZD 71.4

166.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.23

$0.13 DZD 17.92

1592.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.66

$1.11 DZD 151

32.43%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.89

$1.19 DZD 161

110.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$137

$2.91 DZD 394

150.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$149

$3.90 DZD 528

103.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$242

$10.50 DZD 1,422

22.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.4

$2.04 DZD 276

42.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.98

$2.82 DZD 383

-51.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.78

$1.07 DZD 145

132.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.12

$0.28 DZD 37.42

625.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.03

$0.35 DZD 47.53

477.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.74

$0.45 DZD 60.6

322.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.49

$0.62 DZD 83.7

83.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.27

$0.25 DZD 33.56

396.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$80.2

$2.51 DZD 340

70.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$184

$6.58 DZD 891

49.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.78

$1.02 DZD 138

55.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.6

$1.87 DZD 253

47.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.67

$0.15 DZD 20.22

240.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$514

$6.52 DZD 882

320.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.4

$0.59 DZD 79.3

706.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$61.0

$0.44 DZD 59.1

638.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

$4.06 DZD 550

32.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.70

$0.34 DZD 46.14

350.00%

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

$21.2K MX$398.4K

$31.3K DZD 4.2M

-32.25%

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

$23.3K MX$436.9K

$34.6K DZD 4.7M

-32.78%

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

$83.5 MX$1,568

$33.53 DZD 4,542

149.00%

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

$23.19 MX$435

$9.61 DZD 1,302

141.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$519

$12.15 DZD 1,645

127.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,060

$10.79 DZD 1,461

422.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$529

$14.76 DZD 2,000

90.99%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.9

$2.55 DZD 345

96.08%

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

$207 MX$3,889

$69.6 DZD 9,430

197.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$98.2K

$1,480 DZD 200.4K

253.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$816

$11.06 DZD 1,499

292.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$799

$34.14 DZD 4,623

24.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,367

$69.5 DZD 9,412

4.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,660

$44.16 DZD 5,981

100.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.7K

$144 DZD 19.5K

592.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,181

$93.8 DZD 12.7K

307.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.4K

$165 DZD 22.4K

911.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.3K

$116 DZD 15.7K

834.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.4K

$985 DZD 133.4K

296.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.3K

$1,040 DZD 140.8K

490.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

$445 DZD 60.2K

87.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

129.00%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chlef: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Chlef

$94 22% 75.5% $289

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Chlef

$138 32.3% 46.5% $120

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Chlef

$42 9.9% 79% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Chlef

$55 13% 58.8% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Chlef

$71 16.8% 35.7% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Chlef

$16 3.7% 76.1% $51

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Chlef

$9.9 2.3% 80.4% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $144 in Chlef. 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 87% 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 $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $28 in Chlef. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $138 – making Chlef the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇩🇿 Chlef

🕒 Local time

04:08 4:08 AM

10:08 10:08 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

178,616

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.38 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.57 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.38 USD). 1 EUR = 152 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.57 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Chlef 8,540 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Chlef

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 Chlef: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 182%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $639 in Chlef. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chlef, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $144 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $70 in Chlef. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 87% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chlef, where all-in costs run around $426, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Chlef it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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