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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $787 in Ksar El Kebir.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,242 in Ksar El Kebir.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,697 in Ksar El Kebir.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 62% more expensive than 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

$11.87 MX$204

$2.78 MAD 25.71

326.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$33.21 MAD 307

29.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.94 MAD 73.4

34.13%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.60 MAD 14.77

115.63%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.43 MAD 3.94

248.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.35 MAD 3.20

171.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.74 MAD 34.56

-18.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.32 MAD 39.97

6.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.84 MAD 7.80

64.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.71 MAD 6.53

160.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.93 MAD 17.87

-16.58%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.91 MAD 17.66

35.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$11.14 MAD 103

-25.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.20 MAD 66.6

16.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$11.87 MAD 110

-10.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.93 MAD 17.81

36.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.51 MAD 14.01

-1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.88 MAD 8.10

118.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.83 MAD 7.64

151.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.78 MAD 7.21

138.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.80 MAD 7.36

182.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.46 MAD 4.27

130.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.58 MAD 5.34

87.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.51 MAD 41.68

-7.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.12 MAD 75.2

27.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.85 MAD 26.41

-39.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.88 MAD 26.68

-9.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.47 MAD 4.37

14.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$16.69 MAD 154

61.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.85 MAD 7.84

268.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.82 MAD 7.59

206.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.21 MAD 48.21

-39.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.52 MAD 14.03

-16.45%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$37.2K MAD 344.3K

-18.39%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$29.2K MAD 269.7K

-19.17%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$49.43 MAD 457

67.91%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$12.24 MAD 113

85.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$42.02 MAD 389

-29.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$24.79 MAD 229

105.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$23.06 MAD 213

-20.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$8.60 MAD 79.5

-42.67%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$209 MAD 1,933

-5.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$5,500 MAD 50.9K

-4.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$65.3 MAD 604

-43.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$53.5 MAD 494

-25.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$109 MAD 1,004

-26.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$89.3 MAD 826

0.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$279 MAD 2,583

242.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$177 MAD 1,640

169.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$497 MAD 4,594

231.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$301 MAD 2,788

306.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,654 MAD 15.3K

136.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$963 MAD 8,913

570.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ksar El Kebir: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $279 in Ksar El Kebir. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $33.00 in Ksar El Kebir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $211 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 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $279 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 $33.00 versus $43.00 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 $1,271 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 62% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.