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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $611 in Guelma.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $986 in Guelma.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,361 in Guelma.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 111% more expensive than Guelma, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Guelma 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$3.17 DZD 421

276.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$23.99 DZD 3,178

78.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$3.80 DZD 504

178.68%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$0.72 DZD 95.1

402.78%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.57 DZD 75.7

157.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.21 DZD 27.82

347.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.98 DZD 262

56.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.35 DZD 312

89.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.98 DZD 130

45.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.16 DZD 20.78

1075.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.62 DZD 215

0.62%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.81 DZD 240

45.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$9.17 DZD 1,215

-10.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.14 DZD 682

61.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$16.73 DZD 2,217

-33.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.17 DZD 420

-16.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.82 DZD 374

-46.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.70 DZD 226

17.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.79 DZD 104

163.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.58 DZD 77.0

208.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.50 DZD 65.7

336.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.65 DZD 85.6

66.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.28 DZD 36.90

271.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.71 DZD 359

46.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$7.21 DZD 955

41.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.35 DZD 180

28.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.07 DZD 275

20.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.25 DZD 33.32

108.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$17.62 DZD 2,335

53.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.67 DZD 88.2

368.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.36 DZD 47.99

566.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$5.34 DZD 707

-42.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.37 DZD 48.41

243.24%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$32.0K DZD 4.2M

-3.63%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$33.5K DZD 4.4M

-30.40%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$40.48 DZD 5,363

102.59%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$9.48 DZD 1,256

136.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$16.90 DZD 2,239

75.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$23.44 DZD 3,105

121.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.38 DZD 712

-7.62%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$92.7 DZD 12.3K

113.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$3,664 DZD 485.4K

43.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$37.07 DZD 4,912

-1.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$44.82 DZD 5,938

-10.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$75.3 DZD 9,971

6.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$78.2 DZD 10.4K

13.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$196 DZD 26.0K

390.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$114 DZD 15.1K

306.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$276 DZD 36.6K

477.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$185 DZD 24.5K

553.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$544 DZD 72.1K

624.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$392 DZD 51.9K

1547.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$323 DZD 42.8K

123.12%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Guelma: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $196 in Guelma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 123% 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 $24.00 in Guelma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $206 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 111% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $611 including rent). Guelma is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 123% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $196 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 $24.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $611 in Guelma versus $1,287 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 111% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.