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: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $353 in Ismailia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $591 in Ismailia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $830 in Ismailia.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 267% more expensive than in Ismailia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$3.46 E£176

238.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$16.03 E£815

190.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$3.92 E£199

197.19%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$1.09 E£55.5

275.23%

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

$1.37 MX$23.21

$0.31 E£15.96

341.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.08

$0.13 E£6.57

538.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$1.36 E£69.0

146.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.02 E£103

242.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.16

$0.89 E£45.09

94.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.17

$0.41 E£20.62

451.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.88

$0.65 E£32.78

172.31%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.14

$1.22 E£62.0

123.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$3.84 E£195

139.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$4.31 E£219

106.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$7.67 E£390

64.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$1.57 E£79.9

92.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.52

$0.54 E£27.37

190.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.89

$0.45 E£22.71

373.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.23

$0.37 E£18.66

510.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.84

$0.27 E£13.80

640.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.86

$0.33 E£16.97

524.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.92

$0.25 E£12.72

372.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.33

$0.18 E£9.23

566.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$2.03 E£103

128.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$5.80 E£295

84.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.35

$1.11 E£56.4

45.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.65

$2.02 E£103

42.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$0.27 E£13.76

111.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$3.91 E£199

662.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.0

$0.41 E£20.65

1229.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.45 E£22.94

722.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$2.01 E£102

197.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.23

$0.43 E£21.86

260.47%

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

$22.3K MX$377.0K

$29.0K E£1.5M

-22.99%

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

$25.9K MX$438.2K

$16.0K E£813.8K

62.04%

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

$89.1 MX$1,505

$14.02 E£713

535.73%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$7.41 E£376

237.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$8.09 E£411

289.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$10.40 E£529

551.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

$19.59 E£996

47.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$2.03 E£103

148.77%

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

$225 MX$3,798

$69.5 E£3,532

223.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$1,253 E£63.7K

236.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$14.00 E£711

238.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$9.70 E£493

363.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$124 E£6,309

-33.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$29.02 E£1,475

217.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$81.0 E£4,115

1220.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,844

$33.04 E£1,679

1126.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$127 E£6,460

1422.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$78.0 E£3,965

1568.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$491 E£25.0K

713.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.9K

$139 E£7,052

4675.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

$107 E£5,424

601.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

21.33

-46.32%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Ismailia: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $81.0 in Ismailia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 602% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $16.00 in Ismailia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $117 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 267% 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 602% 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $81.0 in Ismailia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $69.5 in Ismailia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 136% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $353 in Ismailia versus $1,293 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 $353 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 267% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.