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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $594 in Kairouan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $944 in Kairouan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,294 in Kairouan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 113% more than Kairouan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kairouan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Kairouan 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$2.68 TND 7.76

332.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$16.29 TND 47.25

189.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$5.01 TND 14.53

137.13%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$0.72 TND 2.08

452.78%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.60 TND 1.75

138.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.28 TND 0.81

192.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.65 TND 4.80

93.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.03 TND 5.90

234.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$0.46 TND 1.33

265.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.08 TND 0.24

2650.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.38 TND 4.02

23.91%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.58 TND 4.59

73.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$12.75 TND 36.99

-24.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.70 TND 16.53

58.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$12.12 TND 35.16

5.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.81 TND 5.25

59.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.24 TND 6.50

-33.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.11 TND 3.22

93.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$0.76 TND 2.21

197.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.67 TND 1.94

195.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.79 TND 2.28

151.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.56 TND 1.61

119.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.27 TND 0.79

344.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$3.35 TND 9.71

35.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$6.94 TND 20.14

49.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.15 TND 3.34

40.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.11 TND 3.22

159.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.33 TND 0.95

81.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$10.27 TND 29.78

180.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.32 TND 0.94

1584.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.33 TND 0.95

1030.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$7.57 TND 21.94

-23.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.81 TND 2.35

90.12%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$37.6K TND 108.9K

-39.95%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$36.4K TND 105.5K

-28.37%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$46.09 TND 134

98.26%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$9.69 TND 28.11

160.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$15.15 TND 43.93

106.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$24.20 TND 70.2

177.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$14.18 TND 41.13

105.29%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$4.57 TND 13.25

6.35%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$98.4 TND 285

127.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$2,464 TND 7,148

71.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$24.04 TND 69.7

95.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$37.01 TND 107

19.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$47.89 TND 139

67.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$68.8 TND 200

34.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$118 TND 343

798.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$158 TND 459

146.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$371 TND 1,076

479.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$274 TND 794

364.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$978 TND 2,836

309.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$632 TND 1,832

929.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$337 TND 977

125.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

13.6

-15.81%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Kairouan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 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 run about 125% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in Kairouan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $182 – 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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $594 in Kairouan – roughly 113% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $891 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 180% less in Kairouan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $98.4 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 $594, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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 $594 in Kairouan to $1,266 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.