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: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $395 in Kafr El Sheikh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $651 in Kafr El Sheikh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $908 in Kafr El Sheikh.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 227% more expensive than in Kafr El Sheikh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Kafr El Sheikh 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$4.33 E£220

170.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$789

$14.15 E£720

229.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$4.50 E£229

158.89%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.3

$1.21 E£61.7

238.02%

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

$1.37 MX$23.28

$0.36 E£18.08

280.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.12

$0.14 E£7.33

492.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.8

$1.55 E£78.6

116.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$1.31 E£66.6

427.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.26

$0.86 E£43.50

101.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.29

$0.35 E£17.97

545.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.98

$0.70 E£35.64

152.86%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.29

$1.32 E£67.0

106.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$156

$2.55 E£130

260.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$3.97 E£202

124.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$214

$8.61 E£438

46.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.2

$1.53 E£77.9

97.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.61

$0.61 E£30.81

157.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.01

$0.41 E£20.96

419.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.36

$0.36 E£18.35

527.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.95

$0.45 E£22.85

344.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.98

$0.41 E£20.66

402.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.99

$0.23 E£11.70

413.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.40

$0.22 E£11.20

445.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.5

$2.10 E£107

120.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$5.48 E£279

95.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.44

$1.41 E£71.5

14.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.81

$1.69 E£86.1

70.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.71

$0.19 E£9.89

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.3

$0.41 E£20.65

1229.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.8

$0.29 E£14.74

1175.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$1.71 E£86.9

249.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.32

$0.44 E£22.30

252.27%

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

$22.3K MX$378.3K

$33.8K E£1.7M

-33.85%

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

$25.9K MX$439.6K

$28.8K E£1.5M

-9.75%

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

$89.1 MX$1,510

$13.51 E£687

559.73%

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

$25.04 MX$424

$7.48 E£380

234.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$534

$10.65 E£542

195.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,148

$9.21 E£468

635.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$490

$4.02 E£205

619.40%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.6

$4.31 E£219

17.17%

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

$225 MX$3,811

$96.0 E£4,884

134.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.5K

$2,586 E£131.5K

63.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$804

$10.05 E£511

372.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$762

$62.5 E£3,180

-28.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,389

$83.4 E£4,243

-1.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,560

$19.56 E£995

370.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$140 E£7,100

666.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,867

$75.1 E£3,820

439.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.8K

$263 E£13.4K

636.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$152 E£7,730

756.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.7K

$810 E£41.2K

393.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.3K

$449 E£22.8K

1375.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-42.75%

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 Kafr El Sheikh: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $140 in Kafr El Sheikh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $14.00 in Kafr El Sheikh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $115 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 227% in total monthly costs ($1,293 vs $395 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 $1,940 in Playa del Carmen and $593 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $140 in Kafr El Sheikh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 140% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $395 in Kafr El Sheikh – a 227% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $395 in Kafr El Sheikh versus $1,293 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 227% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.