Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ksar El Kebir Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ksar El Kebir

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $787 in Ksar El Kebir.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,267 in Ksar El Kebir.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,747 in Ksar El Kebir.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 60% more expensive than in Ksar El Kebir, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ksar El Kebir 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$2.68 MAD 24.95

337.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$33.54 MAD 313

24.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$8.20 MAD 76.4

28.17%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.59 MAD 14.86

125.79%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.46 MAD 4.27

228.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.34 MAD 3.18

170.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$3.86 MAD 36.00

-23.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$4.33 MAD 40.37

1.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$0.84 MAD 7.85

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.71 MAD 6.63

164.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.03 MAD 18.88

-23.15%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.99 MAD 18.56

31.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$11.11 MAD 104

-25.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$7.33 MAD 68.4

13.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$11.91 MAD 111

-8.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.92 MAD 17.87

41.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.56 MAD 14.58

-3.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$0.93 MAD 8.63

101.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.89 MAD 8.30

146.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.78 MAD 7.27

138.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.80 MAD 7.45

178.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.46 MAD 4.25

132.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.62 MAD 5.80

75.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$4.28 MAD 39.93

-2.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$8.31 MAD 77.5

25.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.82 MAD 26.28

-41.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.79 MAD 26.01

-6.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.48 MAD 4.43

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$16.27 MAD 152

60.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.90 MAD 8.38

242.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.82 MAD 7.63

192.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$5.40 MAD 50.3

-42.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.47 MAD 13.71

-10.88%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$37.3K MAD 347.7K

-20.07%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$29.4K MAD 274.3K

-20.72%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$49.45 MAD 461

64.37%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$11.95 MAD 111

88.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$41.63 MAD 388

-27.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$24.56 MAD 229

115.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$23.43 MAD 218

-21.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$8.99 MAD 83.8

-45.27%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$208 MAD 1,942

-3.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$5,371 MAD 50.1K

-3.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$67.2 MAD 626

-46.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$54.3 MAD 506

-26.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$110 MAD 1,027

-27.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$92.0 MAD 858

-6.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$278 MAD 2,593

251.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$174 MAD 1,620

170.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$514 MAD 4,794

221.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$303 MAD 2,823

297.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,082 MAD 10.1K

265.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$917 MAD 8,553

620.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.29

115.88%

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 Ksar El Kebir: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $278 in Ksar El Kebir. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Ksar El Kebir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $214 per month, with Ksar El Kebir cheaper across the board.

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 Ksar El Kebir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ksar El Kebir is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,180 in Ksar El Kebir to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $278 in Ksar El Kebir. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ksar El Kebir – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $787 in Ksar El Kebir versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ksar El Kebir but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ksar El Kebir the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ksar El Kebir is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Ksar El Kebir are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ksar El Kebir gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.