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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $564 in Kairouan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $893 in Kairouan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,222 in Kairouan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 128% more than Kairouan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kairouan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Kairouan 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$2.34 TND 6.76

410.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$8.65 TND 24.99

394.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$3.32 TND 9.60

218.98%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$0.71 TND 2.05

409.86%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.60 TND 1.73

145.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.14 TND 0.41

571.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$1.49 TND 4.30

107.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$1.92 TND 5.56

132.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$0.45 TND 1.29

217.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.07 TND 0.20

2585.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.48 TND 4.27

10.14%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$1.55 TND 4.47

70.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$11.47 TND 33.14

-28.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$5.54 TND 16.02

49.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$11.75 TND 33.95

-5.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$2.21 TND 6.39

19.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$2.24 TND 6.47

-33.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.01 TND 2.92

97.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$0.74 TND 2.14

181.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$0.69 TND 2.00

159.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$0.78 TND 2.24

179.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.48 TND 1.38

125.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.25 TND 0.72

316.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$3.46 TND 9.99

14.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$7.55 TND 21.83

35.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.14 TND 3.30

51.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$1.11 TND 3.20

125.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.32 TND 0.93

62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$10.24 TND 29.59

163.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$0.31 TND 0.90

912.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.33 TND 0.96

627.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$7.62 TND 22.01

-59.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$0.76 TND 2.19

67.11%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$35.3K TND 102.1K

-12.59%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$35.0K TND 101.1K

-33.32%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$46.52 TND 134

76.29%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$9.71 TND 28.06

131.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$14.99 TND 43.32

97.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$23.44 TND 67.7

121.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$12.84 TND 37.11

45.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$4.66 TND 13.46

6.65%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$110 TND 318

79.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$2,464 TND 7,120

114.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$23.79 TND 68.8

52.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$43.78 TND 127

-8.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$48.30 TND 140

65.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$64.6 TND 187

37.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$116 TND 335

731.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$133 TND 385

248.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$377 TND 1,089

323.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$269 TND 778

348.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$334 TND 965

115.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

13.6

-16.03%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Kairouan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $116 in Kairouan. 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 116% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $9.00 in Kairouan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $178 – making Kairouan 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 Kairouan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, $564 in Kairouan – roughly 128% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $846 in Kairouan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 163% less in Kairouan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $110 in Kairouan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kairouan, where all-in costs run around $564, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Kairouan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $564 in Kairouan to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Kairouan. 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.