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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $410 in Kafr El Sheikh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $652 in Kafr El Sheikh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $893 in Kafr El Sheikh.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 206% more expensive than in Kafr El Sheikh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Kafr El Sheikh 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$3.10 E£158

286.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$9.08 E£464

360.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$3.37 E£172

218.99%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.02 E£52.0

243.14%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.35 E£18.12

314.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.07 E£3.59

1157.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.25 E£63.7

136.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$1.29 E£65.9

249.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.68 E£34.69

110.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.51 E£26.25

260.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.75 E£38.46

109.33%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.41 E£72.0

78.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$2.06 E£105

301.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.05 E£207

108.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$8.47 E£432

26.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.21 E£61.6

115.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.60 E£30.45

140.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.38 E£19.60

415.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.40 E£20.20

422.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.54 E£27.79

242.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.53 E£27.22

309.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.27 E£13.61

281.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.19 E£9.74

463.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.97 E£100

108.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$4.58 E£234

122.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.44 E£73.7

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.65 E£84.2

53.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.20 E£10.41

155.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.31 E£16.01

941.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.25 E£12.77

864.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.01 E£102

60.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.33 E£16.96

300.00%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$31.0K E£1.6M

-4.19%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$37.2K E£1.9M

-36.44%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$8.11 E£414

911.22%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$7.40 E£378

210.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$12.27 E£627

145.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$22.01 E£1,124

136.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$6.82 E£348

-26.98%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$94.4 E£4,817

109.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$2,637 E£134.6K

102.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$9.61 E£491

270.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$62.9 E£3,211

-35.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$84.5 E£4,316

-6.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$19.96 E£1,019

345.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$193 E£9,834

391.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$98.7 E£5,036

380.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$306 E£15.6K

437.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$180 E£9,210

571.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$712 E£36.3K

469.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$473 E£24.1K

1268.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kafr El Sheikh: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $193 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 $111 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 206% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $410 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 $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $616 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $193 in Kafr El Sheikh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 123% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $410 in Kafr El Sheikh – a 206% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $410 in Kafr El Sheikh versus $1,256 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 206% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.