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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $444 in El Faiyum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $725 in El Faiyum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,006 in El Faiyum.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 183% more expensive than in El Faiyum, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, El Faiyum 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$2.31 E£118

419.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$13.66 E£697

205.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.50 E£230

138.89%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.27 E£64.6

175.59%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.31 E£15.86

367.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.12 E£6.36

633.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.22 E£62.1

141.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.03 E£155

48.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.75 E£38.51

90.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.79 E£40.29

132.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.65 E£33.12

141.54%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.24 E£63.5

102.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$3.08 E£157

168.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.38 E£223

92.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$8.43 E£430

26.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.49 E£76.0

75.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.54 E£27.64

166.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.39 E£20.07

402.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.36 E£18.45

480.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.40 E£20.60

362.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.43 E£21.90

404.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.22 E£11.16

368.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.21 E£10.57

409.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.94 E£98.8

111.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$6.07 E£310

67.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.36 E£69.3

23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.30 E£118

10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.07 E£3.40

628.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$6.00 E£306

334.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.45 E£23.11

617.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.29 E£14.62

731.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.03 E£52.3

213.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.31 E£15.73

325.81%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$34.9K E£1.8M

-14.94%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$33.2K E£1.7M

-28.74%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$11.47 E£585

615.00%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$5.55 E£283

313.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$9.90 E£506

204.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$24.53 E£1,252

111.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$25.74 E£1,314

-28.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$2.31 E£118

115.58%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$25.21 E£1,287

683.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$896 E£45.7K

495.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$27.93 E£1,426

27.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$44.69 E£2,281

-9.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$109 E£5,561

-27.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$47.32 E£2,416

87.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$183 E£9,342

417.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$86.5 E£4,414

448.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$330 E£16.8K

398.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$182 E£9,288

565.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$418 E£21.3K

870.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$209 E£10.7K

2989.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$74.3 E£3,790

780.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

90.33%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for El Faiyum: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $183 in El Faiyum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 781% 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 El Faiyum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $122 per month, with El Faiyum 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 Faiyum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Faiyum is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 183% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 781% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $183 in El Faiyum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in El Faiyum runs roughly 334% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $25.21 in El Faiyum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $444 in El Faiyum versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in El Faiyum but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes El Faiyum the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, El Faiyum is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and El Faiyum 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 Faiyum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 183% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.