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: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $451 in El Faiyum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $759 in El Faiyum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,067 in El Faiyum.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 187% more expensive than in El Faiyum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$2.43 E£124

381.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$13.87 E£706

235.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$4.95 E£252

135.35%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$1.26 E£64.1

224.60%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.34 E£17.35

302.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.12 E£6.33

591.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$1.40 E£71.3

139.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.99 E£152

131.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$0.72 E£36.73

140.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$0.76 E£38.78

197.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$0.66 E£33.83

168.18%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$1.21 E£61.7

125.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$2.99 E£152

207.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$4.40 E£224

102.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$8.09 E£412

55.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$1.57 E£80.1

92.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$0.68 E£34.59

130.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$0.58 E£29.43

267.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$0.35 E£18.05

545.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$0.25 E£12.69

700.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$0.34 E£17.05

505.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.27 E£13.73

337.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.20 E£10.15

500.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$2.01 E£102

130.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$5.92 E£301

80.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$1.31 E£66.7

23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$2.27 E£116

26.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.07 E£3.48

714.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$5.77 E£293

416.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$0.46 E£23.37

1084.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.31 E£15.81

1093.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$1.01 E£51.6

492.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$0.39 E£19.97

297.44%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$32.7K E£1.7M

-31.73%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$28.7K E£1.5M

-9.63%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$14.37 E£731

520.25%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$7.43 E£378

237.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$13.93 E£709

126.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$24.75 E£1,259

173.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$25.10 E£1,277

15.22%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$2.39 E£121

111.30%

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

$225 MX$3,802

$26.07 E£1,327

762.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$896 E£45.6K

371.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$33.13 E£1,686

43.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$45.20 E£2,300

-0.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$125 E£6,339

-34.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$46.90 E£2,386

96.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$185 E£9,388

479.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

$84.6 E£4,305

379.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$334 E£17.0K

478.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$180 E£9,164

622.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$419 E£21.3K

854.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$210 E£10.7K

3056.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$71.2 E£3,621

952.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

90.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for El Faiyum: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $185 in El Faiyum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 952% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $14.00 in El Faiyum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $121 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 187% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 952% 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $185 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 417% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $26.07 in El Faiyum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $451 in El Faiyum versus $1,293 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 187% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.