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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $348 in Ismailia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $598 in Ismailia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $847 in Ismailia.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 261% more expensive than in Ismailia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Ismailia 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$3.50 E£179

242.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$15.57 E£795

168.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.49 E£229

139.42%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.01 E£51.6

246.53%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.29 E£14.81

400.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.09 E£4.83

877.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.20 E£61.5

145.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$1.99 E£102

126.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.82 E£41.71

74.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.39 E£19.89

371.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.61 E£31.35

157.38%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.40 E£71.6

79.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$3.00 E£153

176.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.61 E£184

133.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$8.14 E£415

31.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.43 E£73.0

82.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.58 E£29.74

148.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.39 E£19.80

402.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.29 E£14.68

620.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.38 E£19.36

386.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.39 E£19.88

456.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.21 E£10.78

390.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.17 E£8.84

529.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.64 E£83.7

150.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$6.01 E£307

69.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.02 E£51.9

64.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.02 E£103

25.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.27 E£13.81

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$4.01 E£205

549.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.31 E£15.63

941.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.43 E£21.92

460.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.02 E£103

59.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.33 E£17.03

300.00%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$30.0K E£1.5M

-0.97%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$16.0K E£815.9K

48.05%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$11.32 E£578

624.47%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$5.73 E£292

300.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$7.68 E£392

292.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$12.00 E£613

333.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$19.86 E£1,014

-6.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$2.01 E£103

147.76%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$89.2 E£4,553

121.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$1,243 E£63.5K

329.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$12.72 E£649

179.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$9.69 E£495

316.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$107 E£5,451

-26.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$50.6 E£2,581

75.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$89.2 E£4,553

961.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$40.26 E£2,055

1077.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$146 E£7,430

1029.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$87.8 E£4,480

1279.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$505 E£25.8K

702.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$138 E£7,034

4595.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$109 E£5,567

499.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-32.82%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ismailia: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $89.2 in Ismailia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 500% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $16.00 in Ismailia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $111 per month, with Ismailia 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 Ismailia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ismailia wins on cost – living expenses run 261% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ismailia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 500% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $89.2 in Ismailia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $89.2 in Ismailia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 124% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $348 in Ismailia versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ismailia but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ismailia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ismailia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $348 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ismailia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Ismailia 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 Ismailia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 261% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.