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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $619 in Guelma.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $965 in Guelma.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,312 in Guelma.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 105% more expensive than Guelma, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.16 DZD 419

275.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$23.35 DZD 3,094

83.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.00 DZD 530

166.25%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$0.78 DZD 103

342.31%

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

$0.23 DZD 30.54

313.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.91 DZD 254

58.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.30 DZD 305

100.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.03 DZD 137

33.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.14 DZD 19.13

1221.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.64 DZD 217

-1.83%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.86 DZD 247

39.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$9.05 DZD 1,199

-8.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.23 DZD 693

60.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$16.46 DZD 2,182

-35.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.23 DZD 428

-18.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.81 DZD 372

-46.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.75 DZD 232

9.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.79 DZD 105

164.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.59 DZD 77.9

215.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.50 DZD 66.8

352.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.65 DZD 86.3

63.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.28 DZD 36.70

289.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.70 DZD 358

53.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$6.79 DZD 900

53.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.33 DZD 176

29.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.08 DZD 275

25.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.23 DZD 30.30

134.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$17.25 DZD 2,287

56.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.67 DZD 88.8

367.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.34 DZD 44.71

638.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.26 DZD 697

-40.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.37 DZD 48.51

243.24%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$32.6K DZD 4.3M

-6.81%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$33.6K DZD 4.4M

-29.76%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$41.33 DZD 5,478

100.82%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$9.21 DZD 1,221

146.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$17.03 DZD 2,257

72.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$23.07 DZD 3,057

121.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.44 DZD 721

-9.38%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$94.6 DZD 12.5K

108.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,642 DZD 482.7K

44.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$36.56 DZD 4,846

0.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$46.15 DZD 6,117

-13.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$74.3 DZD 9,840

7.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$78.0 DZD 10.3K

14.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$194 DZD 25.7K

394.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$115 DZD 15.2K

314.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$274 DZD 36.4K

499.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$184 DZD 24.4K

564.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,153 DZD 152.9K

239.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,128 DZD 149.5K

472.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$306 DZD 40.5K

118.11%

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 Guelma: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $194 in Guelma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 118% 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 $23.00 in Guelma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $205 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 105% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $619 including rent). Guelma is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 118% 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 $194 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $619 in Guelma versus $1,271 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 105% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.