Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kairouan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kairouan: $634 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Kairouan
Learn more

Kairouan Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Kairouan

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$634

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Kairouan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Kairouan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $634 in Kairouan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Kairouan $634

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $975 in Kairouan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Kairouan $975

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,315 in Kairouan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Kairouan $1,315

Playa del Carmen costs about 90% more than Kairouan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kairouan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Kairouan 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$2.71 TND 8.14

302.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$16.14 TND 48.49

168.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$6.10 TND 18.33

93.11%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$0.98 TND 2.95

288.78%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$0.85 TND 2.56

50.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$0.35 TND 1.05

122.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$1.71 TND 5.14

85.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$2.65 TND 7.96

86.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$0.49 TND 1.48

187.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$0.09 TND 0.27

2366.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$1.72 TND 5.16

-17.44%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$1.52 TND 4.58

65.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$9.89 TND 29.70

-26.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$5.52 TND 16.57

39.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$11.96 TND 35.93

6.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$2.14 TND 6.44

29.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$2.27 TND 6.83

-39.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$1.16 TND 3.48

119.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$0.81 TND 2.44

161.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$0.65 TND 1.94

198.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$0.64 TND 1.93

195.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$0.50 TND 1.49

130.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$0.24 TND 0.72

391.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$3.33 TND 9.99

29.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$6.74 TND 20.26

47.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$1.23 TND 3.69

28.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$1.46 TND 4.37

82.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$0.33 TND 0.98

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$9.96 TND 29.93

167.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$0.29 TND 0.87

1613.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$0.31 TND 0.94

974.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$1.78 TND 5.36

201.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$0.77 TND 2.32

87.01%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$38.9K TND 116.8K

-46.84%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$36.5K TND 109.8K

-35.78%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$59.9 TND 180

41.60%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$8.65 TND 25.99

170.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$19.80 TND 59.5

44.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$23.85 TND 71.7

139.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$12.24 TND 36.78

136.19%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$4.78 TND 14.35

7.53%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$106 TND 319

94.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$3,181 TND 9,558

23.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$23.41 TND 70.4

85.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$61.7 TND 185

-32.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$46.11 TND 139

60.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$84.3 TND 253

5.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$118 TND 355

728.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$156 TND 470

143.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$366 TND 1,099

366.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$269 TND 808

299.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$963 TND 2,893

309.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$621 TND 1,864

892.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$328 TND 986

123.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.65

7.51%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kairouan: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Kairouan

$156 24.7% 58.9% $224

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Kairouan

$176 27.7% 31.1% $79

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Kairouan

$70 11.1% 65.2% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Kairouan

$88 13.9% 35.5% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Kairouan

$97 15.3% 13.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Kairouan

$33 5.3% 50.4% $34

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Kairouan

$13 2.1% 74% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $118 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 in Playa del Carmen are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $16 in Kairouan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $176 – making Kairouan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇹🇳 Kairouan

🕒 Local time

17:19 5:19 PM

23:19 11:19 PM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

139,070

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 TND = 0.333 USD

1 TND = 0.298 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3 TND (1 TND = 0.333 USD). 1 EUR = 3.35 TND (1 TND = 0.298 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Kairouan 9,300 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Kairouan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $634 in Kairouan – Kairouan comes out roughly 47% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $951 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $118 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Public transport costs about 63% less in Kairouan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $106 in Kairouan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Kairouan, where all-in costs run around $634, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Kairouan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kairouan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Kairouan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.