Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ksar El Kebir: $766 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Ksar El Kebir
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Ksar El Kebir Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Ksar El Kebir

🇲🇦 Morocco

$766

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Ksar El Kebir

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Ksar El Kebir actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $766 in Ksar El Kebir.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Ksar El Kebir $766

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,195 in Ksar El Kebir.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Ksar El Kebir $1,195

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,625 in Ksar El Kebir.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Ksar El Kebir $1,625

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 58% more expensive than in Ksar El Kebir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Ksar El Kebir 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$2.52 MAD 24.56

326.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$33.09 MAD 323

30.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$8.34 MAD 81.3

41.37%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$1.58 MAD 15.45

144.94%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$0.39 MAD 3.80

251.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$0.36 MAD 3.55

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$4.25 MAD 41.40

-27.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$5.75 MAD 56.1

-11.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$0.86 MAD 8.36

67.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$0.81 MAD 7.94

175.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.89 MAD 18.44

-22.22%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$1.85 MAD 18.03

36.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$11.21 MAD 109

-34.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$7.19 MAD 70.1

9.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$11.90 MAD 116

7.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$1.69 MAD 16.49

71.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$1.56 MAD 15.21

-7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$0.84 MAD 8.19

203.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$0.75 MAD 7.34

174.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$0.65 MAD 6.30

207.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$0.67 MAD 6.51

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$0.49 MAD 4.80

142.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$0.52 MAD 5.06

142.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$4.21 MAD 41.08

4.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$8.48 MAD 82.7

13.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$2.38 MAD 23.23

-33.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$3.06 MAD 29.87

-8.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$0.47 MAD 4.59

21.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$21.86 MAD 213

27.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$0.80 MAD 7.76

522.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$0.32 MAD 3.13

993.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$4.62 MAD 45.09

16.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$1.56 MAD 15.16

-5.77%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$30.6K MAD 298.8K

-31.53%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$30.0K MAD 292.9K

-20.43%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$51.9 MAD 506

62.25%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$9.93 MAD 96.8

141.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$42.64 MAD 416

-31.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$24.04 MAD 234

161.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

$18.03 MAD 176

61.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$7.65 MAD 74.6

-35.42%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$101 MAD 985

101.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$5,601 MAD 54.6K

-29.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$60.2 MAD 587

-27.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$45.58 MAD 444

-5.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$94.2 MAD 919

-19.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$60.9 MAD 593

45.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$231 MAD 2,255

335.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$170 MAD 1,661

119.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$472 MAD 4,599

262.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$272 MAD 2,656

306.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

$1,174 MAD 11.4K

236.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

$709 MAD 6,915

769.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.83

137.06%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ksar El Kebir: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Ksar El Kebir

$170 22.2% 54.4% $204

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Ksar El Kebir

$208 27.2% 19.4% $50

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Ksar El Kebir

$100 13% 50.6% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Ksar El Kebir

$104 13.6% 23.9% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Ksar El Kebir

$117 15.3% 3.9% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Ksar El Kebir

$39 5.1% 46% $34

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Ksar El Kebir

$26 3.4% 50.3% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen and $231 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 $258 vs $208 per month, with Ksar El Kebir cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇲🇦 Ksar El Kebir

🕒 Local time

04:34 4:34 AM

10:34 10:34 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

126,617

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Ksar El Kebir 7,930 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Ksar El Kebir

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, eating out, and leisure. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,816 in Playa del Carmen and $1,149 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: $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $231 in Ksar El Kebir. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% 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 $766 in Ksar El Kebir versus $1,210 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 58% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.