Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Guelma Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Guelma

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $603 in Guelma.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $958 in Guelma.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,312 in Guelma.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 109% more expensive than in Guelma, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Guelma 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$3.26 DZD 431

259.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$23.27 DZD 3,077

80.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$3.98 DZD 526

164.07%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$0.77 DZD 102

366.23%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.61 DZD 80.3

147.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.21 DZD 27.75

338.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.90 DZD 252

55.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.41 DZD 318

82.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$0.99 DZD 131

41.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.16 DZD 20.71

1075.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.61 DZD 213

-3.11%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.87 DZD 248

39.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$8.93 DZD 1,181

-6.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.43 DZD 718

53.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$16.83 DZD 2,226

-35.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$3.17 DZD 419

-14.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.91 DZD 385

-48.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.69 DZD 223

10.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.76 DZD 100

188.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.59 DZD 77.6

215.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.49 DZD 64.9

355.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.61 DZD 80.2

75.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.28 DZD 37.01

289.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.81 DZD 371

49.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$6.93 DZD 917

50.51%

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

$2.14 DZD 283

21.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.25 DZD 33.10

116.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$17.15 DZD 2,268

52.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.65 DZD 85.7

373.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.34 DZD 44.56

605.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$5.19 DZD 687

-39.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.33 DZD 44.09

296.97%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$32.3K DZD 4.3M

-7.77%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$33.9K DZD 4.5M

-31.10%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$41.42 DZD 5,477

96.23%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$9.18 DZD 1,214

145.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$16.81 DZD 2,223

78.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$23.68 DZD 3,132

123.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$5.42 DZD 717

-9.23%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$93.0 DZD 12.3K

116.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,547 DZD 468.9K

45.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$36.88 DZD 4,877

-2.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$45.40 DZD 6,003

-11.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$76.6 DZD 10.1K

4.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$77.4 DZD 10.2K

11.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$195 DZD 25.8K

400.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$114 DZD 15.1K

312.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$277 DZD 36.6K

496.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$182 DZD 24.0K

561.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,147 DZD 151.6K

244.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,131 DZD 149.6K

484.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$312 DZD 41.3K

116.60%

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 Guelma: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $195 in Guelma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 117% 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 $23.00 in Guelma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $207 per month, with Guelma 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 Guelma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Guelma differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $603 including rent). Guelma is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 117% 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 $195 in Guelma. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Guelma – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $603 in Guelma versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Guelma but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Guelma 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 Guelma 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 Guelma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.