Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and El Bayadh Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and El Bayadh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $539 in El Bayadh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $877 in El Bayadh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,215 in El Bayadh.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 135% more expensive than in El Bayadh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, El Bayadh 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$2.88 DZD 384

302.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$18.90 DZD 2,521

149.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$3.45 DZD 460

244.35%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$0.82 DZD 109

385.37%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$0.62 DZD 83.4

130.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.31 DZD 40.90

164.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$1.40 DZD 187

127.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.00 DZD 266

239.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.00 DZD 134

68.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.14 DZD 18.45

1471.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.18 DZD 158

44.92%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$1.40 DZD 187

95.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$8.29 DZD 1,106

15.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.17 DZD 556

116.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$14.86 DZD 1,982

-13.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.19 DZD 292

31.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.93 DZD 390

-48.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.15 DZD 153

86.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$0.99 DZD 132

128.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.64 DZD 84.9

209.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.51 DZD 68.0

290.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.81 DZD 108

51.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.26 DZD 34.96

361.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$2.83 DZD 378

60.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$7.04 DZD 939

47.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.30 DZD 173

24.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$1.85 DZD 247

55.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.15 DZD 20.06

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$6.02 DZD 803

378.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$0.60 DZD 79.7

798.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$0.38 DZD 51.1

881.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$4.52 DZD 603

27.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$0.34 DZD 45.16

352.94%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$37.1K DZD 4.9M

-39.16%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$34.9K DZD 4.7M

-25.27%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$38.05 DZD 5,074

140.16%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$9.95 DZD 1,327

153.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$10.96 DZD 1,461

185.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$21.48 DZD 2,864

212.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$4.82 DZD 642

0.83%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$89.6 DZD 12.0K

149.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$3,789 DZD 505.4K

11.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$30.61 DZD 4,082

53.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$35.19 DZD 4,693

25.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$67.4 DZD 8,989

18.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$82.0 DZD 10.9K

12.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$178 DZD 23.7K

498.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$101 DZD 13.4K

287.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$283 DZD 37.8K

659.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$211 DZD 28.2K

502.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$1,330 DZD 177.4K

200.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.3

116.04%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for El Bayadh: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $178 in El Bayadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $19.00 in El Bayadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $184 per month, with El Bayadh 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 El Bayadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Bayadh wins on cost – living expenses run 135% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making El Bayadh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $808 in El Bayadh to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $178 in El Bayadh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in El Bayadh – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $539 in El Bayadh – a 135% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $539 in El Bayadh versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in El Bayadh but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes El Bayadh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but El Bayadh delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $539 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes El Bayadh hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and El Bayadh 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 El Bayadh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.