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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $315 in Damietta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $548 in Damietta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $782 in Damietta.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 312% more expensive than Damietta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Damietta 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.55 E£184

230.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$13.56 E£704

206.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.03 E£209

164.02%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$0.74 E£38.28

375.68%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.29 E£15.00

420.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.11 E£5.55

781.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.17 E£60.7

152.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$3.04 E£158

46.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$0.62 E£32.28

122.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.29 E£14.89

551.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.69 E£35.91

137.68%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.43 E£74.3

75.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$2.09 E£109

299.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$3.21 E£167

159.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$8.68 E£450

23.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.43 E£74.3

81.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$0.54 E£28.23

170.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$0.38 E£19.84

400.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$0.40 E£20.54

420.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$0.38 E£19.50

368.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$0.23 E£11.94

852.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.17 E£8.93

511.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.21 E£10.94

414.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$2.02 E£105

101.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$5.62 E£292

83.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.37 E£70.9

24.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.92 E£99.8

34.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.10 E£5.22

410.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$4.26 E£221

521.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$0.51 E£26.66

539.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.23 E£11.80

982.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$0.38 E£19.95

755.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$0.28 E£14.64

367.86%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$24.7K E£1.3M

22.50%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$32.2K E£1.7M

-27.17%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$11.53 E£599

618.73%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$5.56 E£288

299.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$6.77 E£352

333.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$18.72 E£972

175.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$6.55 E£340

179.69%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$2.91 E£151

74.23%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$36.38 E£1,888

451.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$978 E£50.7K

433.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$16.78 E£871

120.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$27.09 E£1,406

46.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$100 E£5,197

-21.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$19.59 E£1,017

344.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$34.06 E£1,768

2755.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$22.14 E£1,149

2012.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$117 E£6,091

1298.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$84.6 E£4,391

1342.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$943 E£48.9K

318.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$671 E£34.8K

868.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$126 E£6,522

428.35%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Damietta: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $34.06 in Damietta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 428% 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 $107 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 312% 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 428% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $34.06 in Damietta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $315 in Damietta – a 312% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Damietta runs roughly 521% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $315 in Damietta versus $1,297 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 $315 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 312% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.