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: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $325 in Damietta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $549 in Damietta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $773 in Damietta.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 298% 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

$11.71 MX$198

$4.02 E£204

191.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$11.85 E£602

293.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$4.85 E£246

140.21%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$1.15 E£58.6

255.65%

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

$1.37 MX$23.21

$0.32 E£16.06

328.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.08

$0.11 E£5.79

654.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$1.34 E£68.1

150.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$3.01 E£153

129.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.16

$0.69 E£35.12

150.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.17

$0.34 E£17.40

564.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.88

$0.62 E£31.32

185.48%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.14

$1.17 E£59.6

133.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$1.86 E£94.7

393.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$2.94 E£149

203.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$8.56 E£435

47.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$1.42 E£72.4

112.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.52

$0.61 E£31.24

157.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.89

$0.37 E£19.05

475.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.23

$0.36 E£18.23

527.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.84

$0.27 E£13.79

640.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.86

$0.22 E£11.15

836.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.92

$0.26 E£13.21

353.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.33

$0.20 E£10.15

500.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$2.03 E£103

128.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$5.76 E£293

85.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.35

$1.30 E£66.3

24.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.65

$2.03 E£103

41.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$0.10 E£4.93

470.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$4.27 E£217

598.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.0

$0.41 E£20.66

1229.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.31 E£15.78

1093.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$0.41 E£20.61

1358.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.23

$0.39 E£19.59

297.44%

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

$22.3K MX$377.0K

$24.6K E£1.2M

-9.10%

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

$25.9K MX$438.2K

$28.4K E£1.4M

-8.54%

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

$89.1 MX$1,505

$14.41 E£732

518.53%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$6.45 E£328

288.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$13.73 E£698

129.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$18.91 E£961

258.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

$6.49 E£330

345.61%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$2.92 E£148

72.95%

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

$225 MX$3,798

$36.72 E£1,866

512.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$968 E£49.2K

336.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$14.84 E£754

219.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$26.48 E£1,346

69.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$78.1 E£3,971

4.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$19.36 E£984

375.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$33.99 E£1,727

3045.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,844

$21.89 E£1,112

1751.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$116 E£5,904

1565.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$84.8 E£4,308

1435.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$987 E£50.2K

304.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.9K

$684 E£34.8K

868.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

$130 E£6,626

474.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

43.12%

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 Damietta: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $33.99 in Damietta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 474% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $12.00 in Damietta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $104 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 298% 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 474% 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $33.99 in Damietta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $325 in Damietta – a 298% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Damietta runs roughly 599% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $325 in Damietta versus $1,293 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 $325 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 298% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.