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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $607 in El Bayadh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $967 in El Bayadh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,327 in El Bayadh.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 108% more expensive than in El Bayadh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, El Bayadh 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$3.16 DZD 418

270.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$23.28 DZD 3,078

79.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$3.84 DZD 508

173.70%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$0.72 DZD 95.2

398.61%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.57 DZD 75.7

164.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.23 DZD 30.45

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.94 DZD 256

52.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.33 DZD 308

89.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$0.99 DZD 131

41.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.16 DZD 20.67

1075.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.58 DZD 208

-1.27%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.79 DZD 236

45.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$8.76 DZD 1,159

-5.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.14 DZD 680

62.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$16.63 DZD 2,198

-34.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$3.06 DZD 404

-11.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.86 DZD 378

-47.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.70 DZD 225

10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.74 DZD 97.8

195.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.55 DZD 72.8

238.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.49 DZD 65.1

355.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.66 DZD 87.4

62.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.30 DZD 39.78

263.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.70 DZD 356

55.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$6.80 DZD 899

53.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.29 DZD 171

28.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.14 DZD 284

21.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.23 DZD 30.36

134.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$17.46 DZD 2,309

49.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.65 DZD 86.4

373.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.33 DZD 44.11

627.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$5.27 DZD 697

-40.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.34 DZD 44.86

285.29%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$32.1K DZD 4.2M

-7.09%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$33.1K DZD 4.4M

-29.50%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$40.70 DZD 5,381

99.71%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$9.56 DZD 1,264

135.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$17.24 DZD 2,279

74.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$23.00 DZD 3,042

130.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$5.44 DZD 719

-9.56%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$92.7 DZD 12.3K

116.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,663 DZD 484.4K

41.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$37.31 DZD 4,934

-3.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$45.81 DZD 6,057

-12.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$76.6 DZD 10.1K

4.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$77.2 DZD 10.2K

12.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$194 DZD 25.6K

405.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$113 DZD 15.0K

315.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$271 DZD 35.8K

509.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$184 DZD 24.3K

554.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,263 DZD 167.0K

213.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,154 DZD 152.6K

472.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.42

110.70%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for El Bayadh: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $194 in El Bayadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $23.00 in El Bayadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $203 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 108% 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 $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $910 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $194 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 $23.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $607 in El Bayadh – a 108% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $607 in El Bayadh versus $1,260 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 $607 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 108% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.