Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kafr El Sheikh Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kafr El Sheikh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $406 in Kafr El Sheikh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $647 in Kafr El Sheikh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $887 in Kafr El Sheikh.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 219% more expensive than Kafr El Sheikh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Kafr El Sheikh 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.13 E£163

274.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$9.13 E£474

355.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$3.33 E£173

219.52%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$1.02 E£52.9

245.10%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.33 E£17.13

357.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.09 E£4.48

977.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.26 E£65.2

134.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$1.29 E£67.2

244.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$0.67 E£35.00

105.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.47 E£24.30

302.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.76 E£39.66

115.79%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.39 E£72.2

80.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$2.04 E£106

308.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$3.88 E£202

114.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$8.31 E£431

29.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.18 E£61.2

120.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$0.61 E£31.53

139.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$0.39 E£19.99

387.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$0.36 E£18.85

477.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$0.54 E£27.93

229.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$0.53 E£27.73

313.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.29 E£15.08

258.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.16 E£8.38

575.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$1.97 E£102

107.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$4.27 E£222

141.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.47 E£76.3

16.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.72 E£89.1

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.20 E£10.20

155.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$0.31 E£16.22

951.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.25 E£13.01

896.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$1.93 E£100

68.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$0.31 E£15.93

322.58%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$30.1K E£1.6M

0.68%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$37.0K E£1.9M

-36.68%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$7.72 E£401

973.45%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$7.58 E£393

193.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$12.56 E£652

133.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$22.35 E£1,160

131.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$7.02 E£364

-27.78%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$94.4 E£4,898

112.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$2,599 E£134.9K

100.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$10.05 E£522

267.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$60.9 E£3,159

-34.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$83.9 E£4,352

-6.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$19.63 E£1,019

343.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$191 E£9,926

408.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$99.0 E£5,139

372.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$306 E£15.9K

436.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$181 E£9,402

573.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$792 E£41.1K

398.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$436 E£22.6K

1391.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

23.33

-51.05%

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 Kafr El Sheikh: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $191 in Kafr El Sheikh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $9.00 in Kafr El Sheikh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $109 per month, with Kafr El Sheikh 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 Kafr El Sheikh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Kafr El Sheikh differ by about 219% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $406 including rent). Kafr El Sheikh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $609 in Kafr El Sheikh to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $191 in Kafr El Sheikh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 130% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $406 in Kafr El Sheikh – a 219% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $406 in Kafr El Sheikh versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kafr El Sheikh but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kafr El Sheikh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Kafr El Sheikh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 219% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.