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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $562 in Kairouan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $869 in Kairouan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,176 in Kairouan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 124% more than Kairouan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kairouan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kairouan 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$2.39 TND 7.01

390.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$8.64 TND 25.36

384.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$3.33 TND 9.77

215.62%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$0.77 TND 2.25

366.23%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.61 TND 1.78

147.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.13 TND 0.38

607.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.49 TND 4.38

98.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$1.91 TND 5.60

130.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$0.49 TND 1.45

185.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.08 TND 0.23

2250.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.55 TND 4.55

0.65%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.50 TND 4.39

74.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$11.35 TND 33.31

-26.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.61 TND 16.47

48.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$11.94 TND 35.03

-9.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.18 TND 6.39

24.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.30 TND 6.76

-34.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.00 TND 2.94

87.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.74 TND 2.16

195.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.69 TND 2.03

169.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.73 TND 2.13

205.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.49 TND 1.42

118.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.27 TND 0.80

303.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$3.35 TND 9.84

25.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$6.63 TND 19.47

57.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.14 TND 3.35

45.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.07 TND 3.14

143.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.33 TND 0.97

63.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$10.13 TND 29.74

158.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.31 TND 0.92

893.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.33 TND 0.98

627.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$7.38 TND 21.66

-57.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.79 TND 2.31

65.82%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$36.3K TND 106.4K

-17.79%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$34.5K TND 101.2K

-32.38%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$46.19 TND 136

75.97%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$9.78 TND 28.71

130.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$14.61 TND 42.88

105.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$23.96 TND 70.3

120.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$12.48 TND 36.61

47.36%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$4.63 TND 13.58

6.26%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$107 TND 313

88.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$2,475 TND 7,263

109.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$23.83 TND 69.9

50.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$44.37 TND 130

-9.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$47.47 TND 139

67.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$63.8 TND 187

35.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$115 TND 339

746.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$134 TND 392

252.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$373 TND 1,093

343.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$274 TND 803

339.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$968 TND 2,842

308.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$568 TND 1,668

1062.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$326 TND 956

107.66%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kairouan: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $115 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 108% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $9.00 in Kairouan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, $562 in Kairouan – roughly 124% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $842 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 158% less in Kairouan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $107 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 $562, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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 $562 in Kairouan to $1,260 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.