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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $612 in El Oued.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $973 in El Oued.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,334 in El Oued.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 108% more expensive than El Oued, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, El Oued 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$2.97 DZD 394

299.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$19.17 DZD 2,541

123.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.29 DZD 569

148.25%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.26 DZD 168

173.81%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.62 DZD 82.0

141.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.25 DZD 33.17

280.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.92 DZD 255

57.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.44 DZD 323

88.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.02 DZD 135

35.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.13 DZD 17.75

1323.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.63 DZD 217

-1.23%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.85 DZD 245

40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$8.95 DZD 1,186

-7.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.44 DZD 721

53.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$16.32 DZD 2,163

-34.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.07 DZD 407

-14.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.83 DZD 375

-47.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.78 DZD 236

7.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.74 DZD 98.3

182.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.59 DZD 78.8

215.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.49 DZD 65.2

361.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.64 DZD 84.9

65.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.30 DZD 40.17

263.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.72 DZD 360

52.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$6.53 DZD 865

59.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.34 DZD 178

28.36%

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 33.16

116.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$17.45 DZD 2,313

54.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.71 DZD 94.5

340.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.34 DZD 44.75

638.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.28 DZD 699

-40.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.33 DZD 44.38

284.85%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$31.8K DZD 4.2M

-4.43%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$33.1K DZD 4.4M

-28.87%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$40.44 DZD 5,360

105.24%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$9.54 DZD 1,264

138.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$17.08 DZD 2,264

72.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$23.69 DZD 3,140

115.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.34 DZD 707

-7.68%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$92.5 DZD 12.3K

113.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,638 DZD 482.2K

45.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$37.43 DZD 4,961

-1.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$45.65 DZD 6,050

-12.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$76.4 DZD 10.1K

4.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$77.2 DZD 10.2K

15.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$196 DZD 26.0K

387.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$117 DZD 15.5K

307.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$271 DZD 35.9K

508.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$184 DZD 24.3K

566.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,141 DZD 151.2K

243.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,118 DZD 148.2K

477.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$248 DZD 32.9K

168.49%

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 Oued: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $196 in El Oued. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 168% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $19.00 in El Oued for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $205 per month, with El Oued 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 Oued: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and El Oued differ by about 108% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $612 including rent). El Oued is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 168% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $196 in El Oued. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $92.5 in El Oued. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $612 in El Oued versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in El Oued but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes El Oued the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and El Oued 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 Oued gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.