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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $565 in Kairouan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $885 in Kairouan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,205 in Kairouan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 125% 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

$11.87 MX$204

$2.31 TND 6.73

413.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$8.61 TND 25.12

398.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$3.49 TND 10.18

205.16%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$0.76 TND 2.22

353.95%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.65 TND 1.88

130.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.16 TND 0.45

493.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.55 TND 4.52

95.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.90 TND 5.54

142.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.49 TND 1.43

181.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.07 TND 0.20

2542.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.51 TND 4.39

6.62%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.56 TND 4.55

66.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$11.33 TND 33.06

-27.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.61 TND 16.35

49.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$11.88 TND 34.65

-10.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.17 TND 6.33

21.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.31 TND 6.74

-35.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.06 TND 3.08

81.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.68 TND 1.99

207.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.66 TND 1.93

181.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.76 TND 2.21

197.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.48 TND 1.41

120.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.25 TND 0.73

336.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.46 TND 10.08

19.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$7.69 TND 22.44

35.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.10 TND 3.22

56.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.10 TND 3.21

137.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.33 TND 0.96

63.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$10.14 TND 29.58

165.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.31 TND 0.91

909.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.31 TND 0.90

709.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$7.54 TND 22.00

-58.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.81 TND 2.36

56.79%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$35.7K TND 104.2K

-15.00%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$35.0K TND 102.2K

-32.70%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$44.74 TND 131

85.52%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$9.56 TND 27.88

137.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$14.54 TND 42.41

102.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$24.12 TND 70.4

111.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$12.59 TND 36.72

45.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.65 TND 13.57

6.02%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$107 TND 313

83.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$2,445 TND 7,132

115.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$23.49 TND 68.5

57.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$44.61 TND 130

-10.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$48.02 TND 140

66.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$66.1 TND 193

35.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$117 TND 342

715.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$133 TND 388

258.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$376 TND 1,096

338.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$274 TND 800

346.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$339 TND 988

97.03%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kairouan: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $117 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 97% 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: $250 vs $179 – 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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $565 in Kairouan – roughly 125% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $848 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 166% less in Kairouan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $197 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 $565, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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 $565 in Kairouan to $1,271 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.