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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $435 in El Faiyum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $732 in El Faiyum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,028 in El Faiyum.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 198% more expensive than El Faiyum, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, El Faiyum 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.31 E£120

407.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$719

$13.75 E£712

202.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.70 E£243

126.38%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.8

$1.24 E£64.2

183.87%

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

$1.51 MX$26.09

$0.31 E£16.30

387.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.82

$0.10 E£5.06

870.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.16 E£60.2

154.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.02 E£157

47.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$0.72 E£37.20

91.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.69

$0.78 E£40.39

142.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.29

$0.66 E£34.02

148.48%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.30

$1.19 E£61.8

110.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$2.95 E£153

182.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.46 E£231

87.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$185

$8.21 E£425

30.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.00

$1.49 E£77.3

74.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.18

$0.54 E£27.94

170.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.84

$0.43 E£22.05

341.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.88

$0.36 E£18.78

477.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.68

$0.38 E£19.59

368.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.76

$0.43 E£22.21

409.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.97

$0.24 E£12.45

333.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.17 E£8.73

535.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.5

$2.02 E£104

101.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$5.66 E£293

82.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.59

$1.34 E£69.4

27.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.50

$2.29 E£119

12.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.06 E£2.89

750.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$457

$6.09 E£316

334.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.42 E£21.95

676.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.05

$0.29 E£14.89

758.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$0.94 E£48.90

245.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.59

$0.33 E£17.34

296.97%

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

$30.3K MX$523.2K

$35.7K E£1.8M

-15.09%

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

$23.4K MX$404.9K

$33.0K E£1.7M

-28.99%

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

$82.9 MX$1,432

$11.20 E£580

639.91%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$5.75 E£297

286.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$9.96 E£515

194.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$892

$25.46 E£1,318

102.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$25.58 E£1,324

-28.38%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.5

$2.39 E£124

112.13%

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

$201 MX$3,470

$25.66 E£1,328

682.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$879 E£45.5K

492.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$638

$27.77 E£1,438

32.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$44.38 E£2,298

-10.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,356

$107 E£5,552

-26.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,505

$47.03 E£2,435

85.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$188 E£9,732

417.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,082

$85.5 E£4,424

447.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$327 E£17.0K

401.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$185 E£9,574

560.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.2K

$411 E£21.3K

859.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

$201 E£10.4K

3130.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$70.6 E£3,654

840.80%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for El Faiyum: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $188 in El Faiyum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 841% 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 $120 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 198% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 841% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $188 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 $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $25.66 in El Faiyum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $435 in El Faiyum versus $1,297 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 198% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.