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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $462 in Hurghada, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $979 in Hurghada, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,496 in Hurghada, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 174% more than Hurghada, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Hurghada are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Hurghada 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.00 E£209

190.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$38.68 E£2,017

21.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$5.66 E£295

109.89%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.93 E£101

106.22%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.48 E£24.80

197.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.17 E£8.74

382.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.08 E£109

53.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.20 E£167

112.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.01 E£52.5

66.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.58 E£30.37

279.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$0.61 E£31.93

180.33%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.89 E£98.6

44.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$2.94 E£153

225.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.63 E£294

60.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$9.48 E£494

35.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.44 E£75.0

100.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.50 E£25.82

200.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$0.45 E£23.40

377.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$0.39 E£20.46

479.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.35 E£18.24

465.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.40 E£20.86

397.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.27 E£14.08

355.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.19 E£9.91

531.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.19 E£114

107.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.35 E£384

41.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.26 E£65.6

28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.75 E£91.1

64.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.16 E£8.35

275.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$5.95 E£310

384.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.94 E£48.87

473.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.20 E£10.44

1765.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$1.87 E£97.8

208.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.42 E£21.84

266.67%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$32.1K E£1.7M

-29.72%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$22.6K E£1.2M

15.22%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$25.63 E£1,337

256.54%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$7.99 E£417

215.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$9.40 E£490

232.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$26.65 E£1,390

152.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$6.44 E£336

352.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$3.42 E£178

42.11%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$99.6 E£5,194

124.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$591 E£30.8K

615.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$20.43 E£1,065

130.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$33.79 E£1,762

31.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$29.08 E£1,517

218.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$221 E£11.5K

380.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$119 E£6,186

228.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$245 E£12.8K

778.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$557 E£29.0K

128.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$544 E£28.3K

636.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$605 E£31.6K

974.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$152 E£7,933

398.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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 Hurghada: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $221 in Hurghada. 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 398% 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 $39.00 in Hurghada. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $135 – making Hurghada 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 Hurghada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 174%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $693 in Hurghada. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $462 in Hurghada. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 384% less in Hurghada. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Hurghada, where all-in costs run around $462, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Hurghada it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hurghada – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Hurghada. 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.