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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $537 in Hurghada, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,021 in Hurghada, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,504 in Hurghada, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 137% more than Hurghada, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Hurghada are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Hurghada 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$4.06 E£207

192.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$38.83 E£1,983

10.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.77 E£295

84.58%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.62 E£82.6

112.96%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.37 E£18.99

305.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.15 E£7.44

533.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.99 E£102

52.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.63 E£134

75.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.01 E£51.8

36.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.61 E£31.12

203.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.03 E£52.4

56.31%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.09 E£107

23.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$3.48 E£178

137.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.43 E£328

30.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.90 E£505

7.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.36 E£69.7

93.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.43 E£22.01

246.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.42 E£21.62

357.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.62 E£31.41

237.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.50 E£25.64

272.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.59 E£30.01

283.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.30 E£15.33

253.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.21 E£10.48

419.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.94 E£98.9

113.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$7.41 E£378

40.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.21 E£61.9

42.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.85 E£94.4

41.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.09 E£4.37

500.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.39 E£19.71

702.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.17 E£8.80

1376.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.04 E£104

54.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.33 E£16.62

284.85%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$17.8K E£910.5K

70.37%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$33.8K E£1.7M

-30.31%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$25.71 E£1,313

222.83%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$8.52 E£435

166.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$12.87 E£657

128.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$26.80 E£1,369

90.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$6.97 E£356

162.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.48 E£178

41.67%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$99.5 E£5,083

98.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$593 E£30.3K

790.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$11.23 E£573

228.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$19.93 E£1,018

100.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$108 E£5,536

-26.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$49.70 E£2,538

80.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$263 E£13.4K

263.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$133 E£6,803

258.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$262 E£13.4K

529.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$451 E£23.1K

171.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$541 E£27.6K

624.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$605 E£30.9K

966.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$152 E£7,747

339.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

16.67

-31.49%

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 Hurghada: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $263 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 340% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $39.00 in Hurghada. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $146 – 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 137%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $806 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $537 in Hurghada. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $99.5 in Hurghada. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Hurghada, where all-in costs run around $537, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.