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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $603 in El Bayadh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $981 in El Bayadh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,359 in El Bayadh.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 111% more expensive than El Bayadh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, El Bayadh 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.27 DZD 434

263.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$23.29 DZD 3,087

84.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$3.82 DZD 507

178.80%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$0.72 DZD 96.1

379.17%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.57 DZD 75.5

163.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.21 DZD 27.80

352.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.97 DZD 261

53.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.43 DZD 322

89.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.03 DZD 137

33.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.13 DZD 16.93

1323.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.64 DZD 218

-1.83%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.87 DZD 247

38.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$8.93 DZD 1,183

-7.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.27 DZD 698

58.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$16.30 DZD 2,160

-34.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.12 DZD 414

-15.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.94 DZD 390

-49.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.72 DZD 228

11.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.75 DZD 99.8

178.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.55 DZD 72.9

238.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.49 DZD 65.0

361.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.65 DZD 86.4

63.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.30 DZD 40.13

263.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.71 DZD 359

53.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$6.72 DZD 891

54.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.30 DZD 173

32.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.16 DZD 286

20.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.25 DZD 33.20

116.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$17.43 DZD 2,311

54.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.70 DZD 92.7

347.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.33 DZD 44.17

660.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.18 DZD 686

-39.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.34 DZD 44.51

273.53%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$31.8K DZD 4.2M

-4.58%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$33.3K DZD 4.4M

-29.14%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$40.24 DZD 5,333

106.26%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$9.20 DZD 1,220

146.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$16.73 DZD 2,217

76.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$23.10 DZD 3,062

120.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.26 DZD 697

-6.27%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$93.0 DZD 12.3K

112.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,570 DZD 473.2K

47.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$36.10 DZD 4,784

2.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$46.05 DZD 6,103

-13.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$73.7 DZD 9,771

8.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$78.6 DZD 10.4K

13.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$198 DZD 26.3K

382.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$114 DZD 15.1K

317.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$277 DZD 36.7K

494.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$187 DZD 24.7K

556.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,209 DZD 160.2K

224.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,236 DZD 163.8K

422.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for El Bayadh: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $198 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 $250 vs $205 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 111% 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 $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $905 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $198 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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $603 in El Bayadh – a 111% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $603 in El Bayadh versus $1,271 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 $603 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 111% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.