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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $317 in Damietta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $552 in Damietta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $788 in Damietta.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 297% more expensive than in Damietta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Damietta 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$3.63 E£185

230.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$13.95 E£712

199.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.01 E£204

168.08%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$0.78 E£40.07

348.72%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.29 E£14.60

400.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.12 E£6.35

633.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.22 E£62.5

141.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.97 E£152

51.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.62 E£31.86

130.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.31 E£15.97

493.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.64 E£32.44

145.31%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.44 E£73.3

74.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$2.07 E£106

300.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.32 E£169

153.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$8.88 E£453

20.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.48 E£75.5

76.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.54 E£27.39

166.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.38 E£19.51

415.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.36 E£18.49

480.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.37 E£18.99

400.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.25 E£12.85

768.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.21 E£10.72

390.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.19 E£9.95

463.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.96 E£99.9

109.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$5.89 E£301

72.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.36 E£69.6

23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.99 E£102

27.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.11 E£5.85

363.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$4.41 E£225

490.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.56 E£28.65

476.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.19 E£9.64

1168.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$0.41 E£21.05

687.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.26 E£13.20

407.69%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$25.4K E£1.3M

16.74%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$32.0K E£1.6M

-26.16%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$11.15 E£569

635.52%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$5.73 E£293

300.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$6.71 E£342

348.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$19.32 E£986

169.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$6.68 E£341

177.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$2.98 E£152

67.11%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$36.91 E£1,884

434.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$992 E£50.7K

437.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$17.07 E£871

108.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$26.39 E£1,347

52.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$97.6 E£4,983

-19.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$20.02 E£1,022

344.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$34.49 E£1,761

2645.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$21.48 E£1,097

2106.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$119 E£6,082

1279.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$83.3 E£4,255

1352.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$990 E£50.6K

309.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$701 E£35.8K

823.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$129 E£6,575

407.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

42.75%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Damietta: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $34.49 in Damietta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 408% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $14.00 in Damietta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $108 per month, with Damietta cheaper across the board.

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 Damietta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Damietta wins on cost – living expenses run 297% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Damietta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 408% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $34.49 in Damietta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $317 in Damietta – a 297% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Damietta runs roughly 490% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $317 in Damietta versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Damietta but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Damietta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Damietta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $317 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Damietta hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Damietta are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Damietta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 297% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.