Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Hassi Messaoud Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Hassi Messaoud

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $544 in Hassi Messaoud, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $873 in Hassi Messaoud, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,202 in Hassi Messaoud, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 133% more than Hassi Messaoud, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Hassi Messaoud are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Hassi Messaoud 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.31 DZD 442

250.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$16.87 DZD 2,253

179.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$4.08 DZD 544

191.18%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$0.75 DZD 100

430.67%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.62 DZD 83.3

130.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.33 DZD 43.99

148.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.41 DZD 189

126.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.19 DZD 293

210.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$0.88 DZD 118

90.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.16 DZD 20.95

1275.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.15 DZD 153

48.70%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.40 DZD 186

95.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$8.28 DZD 1,106

15.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.14 DZD 553

117.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$14.58 DZD 1,948

-12.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.14 DZD 286

35.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.84 DZD 379

-47.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.11 DZD 149

93.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$0.95 DZD 127

137.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.64 DZD 85.0

209.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.47 DZD 62.3

323.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.70 DZD 93.9

75.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.30 DZD 40.59

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.81 DZD 375

61.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.00 DZD 935

48.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.31 DZD 174

23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.92 DZD 256

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.16 DZD 21.31

275.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$6.46 DZD 863

345.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.60 DZD 80.3

798.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.37 DZD 49.82

908.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$5.38 DZD 719

7.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.34 DZD 45.36

352.94%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$37.0K DZD 4.9M

-38.98%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$36.0K DZD 4.8M

-27.55%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$38.34 DZD 5,121

138.34%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$9.30 DZD 1,242

170.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$12.35 DZD 1,650

152.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$21.21 DZD 2,834

216.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$2.55 DZD 340

1041.57%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$4.69 DZD 626

3.62%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$103 DZD 13.7K

117.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$3,396 DZD 453.7K

24.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$33.17 DZD 4,431

42.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$35.62 DZD 4,759

24.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$69.9 DZD 9,333

14.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$76.4 DZD 10.2K

21.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$160 DZD 21.4K

563.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$108 DZD 14.4K

261.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$280 DZD 37.4K

668.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$207 DZD 27.6K

514.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,280 DZD 171.0K

212.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$411 DZD 54.9K

84.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.3

116.04%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Hassi Messaoud: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $160 in Hassi Messaoud. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 84% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $17.00 in Hassi Messaoud. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $180 – making Hassi Messaoud the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Hassi Messaoud: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $544 in Hassi Messaoud – roughly 133% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $816 in Hassi Messaoud. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hassi Messaoud, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 346% less in Hassi Messaoud. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $103 in Hassi Messaoud. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hassi Messaoud, where all-in costs run around $544, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Hassi Messaoud it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $544 in Hassi Messaoud to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Hassi Messaoud. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.