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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $609 in El Oued.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $957 in El Oued.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,305 in El Oued.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 107% more expensive than in 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

$11.72 MX$203

$2.94 DZD 388

298.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$19.57 DZD 2,587

114.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$4.27 DZD 565

146.14%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.27 DZD 169

182.68%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.57 DZD 75.8

164.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.23 DZD 30.27

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.90 DZD 251

55.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.43 DZD 322

81.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.04 DZD 137

34.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.13 DZD 17.06

1346.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.56 DZD 207

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.87 DZD 247

39.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$8.79 DZD 1,162

-5.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.27 DZD 697

58.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$16.24 DZD 2,147

-33.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$3.10 DZD 410

-12.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.81 DZD 371

-46.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.72 DZD 228

8.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.73 DZD 97.0

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.59 DZD 78.2

215.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.49 DZD 64.8

355.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.64 DZD 84.7

67.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.30 DZD 39.92

263.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.81 DZD 371

49.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$6.73 DZD 890

54.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.30 DZD 172

27.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.17 DZD 287

20.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.23 DZD 30.15

134.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$17.70 DZD 2,340

47.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.70 DZD 92.5

340.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.34 DZD 44.83

605.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$5.37 DZD 710

-41.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.34 DZD 44.91

285.29%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$32.0K DZD 4.2M

-6.95%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$33.1K DZD 4.4M

-29.55%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$41.48 DZD 5,484

95.95%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$9.49 DZD 1,255

137.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$17.01 DZD 2,249

76.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$23.59 DZD 3,120

124.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$5.29 DZD 699

-6.99%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$94.6 DZD 12.5K

112.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,569 DZD 471.9K

44.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$36.45 DZD 4,819

-1.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$44.57 DZD 5,893

-9.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$76.2 DZD 10.1K

4.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$78.7 DZD 10.4K

9.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$196 DZD 25.9K

399.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$114 DZD 15.0K

313.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$272 DZD 36.0K

506.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$182 DZD 24.1K

560.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,144 DZD 151.3K

245.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$993 DZD 131.3K

565.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$260 DZD 34.4K

160.13%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for El Oued: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $196 in El Oued. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 160% 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 $20.00 in El Oued for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $203 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 107% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $609 including rent). El Oued is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 160% 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: $978 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 $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $94.6 in El Oued. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $609 in El Oued versus $1,260 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 107% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.