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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $539 in Hurghada, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,008 in Hurghada, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,477 in Hurghada, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 134% 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 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$4.04 E£204

190.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$38.81 E£1,965

7.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$5.97 E£302

76.05%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$1.64 E£83.1

118.90%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$0.37 E£18.95

308.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.14 E£6.94

557.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$2.04 E£103

45.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$2.61 E£132

68.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$0.95 E£47.94

47.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$0.61 E£31.03

208.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$1.05 E£53.3

48.57%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$2.10 E£106

24.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$3.40 E£172

144.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$6.58 E£333

26.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$9.81 E£497

10.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$1.37 E£69.6

97.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$0.46 E£23.42

228.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$0.43 E£21.74

334.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$0.61 E£30.87

259.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$0.50 E£25.46

272.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$0.55 E£27.80

305.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.28 E£14.13

282.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.16 E£8.21

581.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$1.95 E£98.7

114.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$7.66 E£388

36.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.21 E£61.0

37.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$1.84 E£93.1

41.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.11 E£5.34

390.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$0.41 E£20.90

651.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$0.20 E£10.29

1100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$1.95 E£98.6

60.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$0.35 E£17.80

274.29%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$17.6K E£891.5K

69.25%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$33.7K E£1.7M

-30.88%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$25.72 E£1,302

216.02%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$8.69 E£440

159.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$12.88 E£652

133.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$26.87 E£1,360

96.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$7.00 E£354

162.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$3.35 E£170

46.87%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$98.1 E£4,965

104.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$584 E£29.5K

786.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$11.18 E£566

221.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$19.49 E£986

105.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$108 E£5,486

-26.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$49.78 E£2,520

73.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$264 E£13.4K

270.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$133 E£6,725

254.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$259 E£13.1K

536.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$440 E£22.2K

173.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$558 E£28.2K

609.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$639 E£32.3K

934.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

$161 E£8,139

320.84%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Hurghada: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $264 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 321% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $39.00 in Hurghada. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 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 134%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $809 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $539 in Hurghada. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $98.1 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 $539, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.