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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $541 in Jijel, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $876 in Jijel, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,211 in Jijel, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 141% more than Jijel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Jijel are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Jijel 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$2.58 DZD 342

363.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$28.96 DZD 3,840

63.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$4.37 DZD 580

168.88%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$1.00 DZD 132

312.00%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.65 DZD 85.7

115.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.28 DZD 37.01

225.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.29 DZD 304

40.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.38 DZD 315

197.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$0.88 DZD 117

90.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.15 DZD 19.30

1333.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.14 DZD 151

55.26%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.36 DZD 180

107.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$8.37 DZD 1,109

9.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$4.03 DZD 534

129.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$12.37 DZD 1,641

2.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.12 DZD 282

39.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$2.79 DZD 370

-43.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.16 DZD 154

91.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$0.75 DZD 99.5

214.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.62 DZD 82.2

220.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.39 DZD 52.4

407.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.42 DZD 56.3

195.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.28 DZD 37.30

332.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$2.38 DZD 316

93.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$6.84 DZD 907

53.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.27 DZD 168

33.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.02 DZD 268

37.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.24 DZD 31.89

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$6.32 DZD 838

369.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$0.56 DZD 74.7

835.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.22 DZD 29.11

1559.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$5.76 DZD 764

0.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$0.38 DZD 50.0

305.26%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$37.2K DZD 4.9M

-38.66%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$36.4K DZD 4.8M

-29.00%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$40.78 DZD 5,408

122.34%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$6.77 DZD 897

272.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$13.03 DZD 1,728

143.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$17.13 DZD 2,271

301.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$4.60 DZD 609

5.65%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$85.9 DZD 11.4K

162.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$1,394 DZD 184.9K

200.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$33.19 DZD 4,401

42.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$34.37 DZD 4,559

26.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$63.4 DZD 8,408

26.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$66.4 DZD 8,801

37.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$204 DZD 27.0K

433.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$125 DZD 16.6K

226.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$286 DZD 37.9K

590.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$211 DZD 28.0K

505.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$779 DZD 103.4K

419.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$413 DZD 54.8K

1521.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$257 DZD 34.1K

200.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.3

116.04%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Jijel: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $204 in Jijel. 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 201% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $29.00 in Jijel. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $170 – making Jijel 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 Jijel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 141%, 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 $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $811 in Jijel. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jijel, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 63% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $29.00 in Jijel. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jijel, where all-in costs run around $541, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Jijel it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jijel – 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 Jijel. 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.