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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $601 in El Bayadh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $960 in El Bayadh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,320 in El Bayadh.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 114% more expensive than El Bayadh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, El Bayadh 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$3.17 DZD 420

276.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$23.26 DZD 3,083

83.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$3.88 DZD 514

172.94%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$0.74 DZD 98.0

389.19%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.62 DZD 81.5

137.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.23 DZD 30.57

308.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.90 DZD 252

62.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.42 DZD 321

84.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.00 DZD 132

43.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.15 DZD 20.28

1153.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.55 DZD 206

5.16%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.86 DZD 246

41.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$9.13 DZD 1,210

-10.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.25 DZD 696

57.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$16.45 DZD 2,180

-32.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.23 DZD 427

-17.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.87 DZD 381

-47.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.76 DZD 233

13.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.79 DZD 105

163.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.55 DZD 73.4

225.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.50 DZD 66.8

336.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.65 DZD 86.1

66.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.30 DZD 39.78

246.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.70 DZD 358

47.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$7.15 DZD 947

42.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.29 DZD 170

34.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.17 DZD 288

15.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.23 DZD 30.31

126.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$17.70 DZD 2,346

52.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.67 DZD 88.7

368.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.36 DZD 47.99

566.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$5.36 DZD 711

-42.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.36 DZD 48.24

252.78%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$32.8K DZD 4.3M

-5.74%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$33.6K DZD 4.5M

-30.61%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$40.23 DZD 5,331

103.85%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$9.62 DZD 1,275

133.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$17.20 DZD 2,279

72.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$23.56 DZD 3,121

120.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.42 DZD 718

-8.30%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$92.6 DZD 12.3K

113.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$3,644 DZD 482.9K

44.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$37.37 DZD 4,952

-2.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$45.09 DZD 5,975

-11.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$76.1 DZD 10.1K

4.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$75.6 DZD 10.0K

17.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$195 DZD 25.9K

393.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$117 DZD 15.5K

296.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$269 DZD 35.7K

492.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$182 DZD 24.2K

563.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for El Bayadh: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $195 in El Bayadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $23.00 in El Bayadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $206 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 114% 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 $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $902 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $195 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $601 in El Bayadh – a 114% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $601 in El Bayadh versus $1,287 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 $601 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 114% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.