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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $344 in Ismailia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $582 in Ismailia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $819 in Ismailia.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 277% more expensive than Ismailia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Ismailia 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.58 E£186

227.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$15.66 E£813

165.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.50 E£234

136.44%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$0.95 E£49.38

270.53%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.27 E£13.84

459.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.11 E£5.62

781.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.20 E£62.3

145.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$1.96 E£102

127.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$0.85 E£44.28

62.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.41 E£21.35

360.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.66 E£34.11

148.48%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.40 E£72.5

79.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$3.01 E£156

177.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$3.72 E£193

124.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$7.78 E£404

37.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.46 E£76.0

78.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$0.54 E£28.01

170.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$0.41 E£21.36

363.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$0.29 E£14.90

617.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$0.37 E£19.45

381.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$0.41 E£21.39

434.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.19 E£9.75

447.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.17 E£8.61

535.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$1.63 E£84.6

150.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$5.85 E£303

76.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.02 E£53.1

67.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.95 E£101

32.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.25 E£12.93

104.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$4.04 E£210

554.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$0.33 E£17.19

887.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.45 E£23.58

453.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$1.94 E£101

67.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$0.33 E£17.32

296.97%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$30.1K E£1.6M

0.61%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$16.1K E£835.7K

45.51%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$11.33 E£588

631.42%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$5.68 E£295

291.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$7.72 E£401

280.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$11.67 E£606

342.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$19.66 E£1,020

-6.82%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$2.01 E£104

152.24%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$86.9 E£4,509

131.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$1,214 E£63.0K

329.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$12.65 E£657

191.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$10.12 E£525

293.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$107 E£5,537

-26.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$49.96 E£2,593

74.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$89.7 E£4,653

984.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$39.40 E£2,045

1087.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$142 E£7,384

1053.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$88.5 E£4,591

1280.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$485 E£25.2K

713.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$133 E£6,897

4789.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$107 E£5,570

518.69%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ismailia: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $89.7 in Ismailia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 519% 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 277% 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 519% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $89.7 in Ismailia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $86.9 in Ismailia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 125% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $344 in Ismailia versus $1,297 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 $344 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 277% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.