Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ksar Hellal Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ksar Hellal

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $643 in Ksar Hellal, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,039 in Ksar Hellal, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,435 in Ksar Hellal, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 98% more than Ksar Hellal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ksar Hellal are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ksar Hellal 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.92 TND 11.44

202.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$23.64 TND 69.0

81.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.17 TND 15.07

106.00%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$0.94 TND 2.75

267.02%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.69 TND 2.02

117.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.29 TND 0.84

227.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.72 TND 5.02

76.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.64 TND 4.79

181.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.50 TND 1.46

176.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.17 TND 0.50

988.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.28 TND 3.72

25.78%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.56 TND 4.54

66.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.62 TND 30.99

-22.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.48 TND 15.98

52.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$13.76 TND 40.14

-22.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.59 TND 4.64

65.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$3.18 TND 9.28

-53.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.92 TND 2.67

108.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.58 TND 1.70

260.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.67 TND 1.95

177.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.59 TND 1.73

283.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.43 TND 1.27

146.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.32 TND 0.94

240.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.45 TND 10.07

20.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.17 TND 15.08

100.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.18 TND 3.45

45.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.09 TND 3.18

139.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.32 TND 0.95

68.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$10.32 TND 30.11

161.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.30 TND 0.87

943.33%

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

$3.35 TND 9.77

-5.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.87 TND 2.53

45.98%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$40.4K TND 117.8K

-24.77%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$37.7K TND 110.0K

-37.48%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$57.3 TND 167

44.95%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$10.00 TND 29.16

127.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$18.44 TND 53.8

59.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$29.28 TND 85.4

74.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$12.91 TND 37.68

41.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.39 TND 15.73

-8.53%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$105 TND 305

88.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,222 TND 9,399

63.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$41.54 TND 121

-11.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$61.4 TND 179

-35.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$95.0 TND 277

-15.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$78.7 TND 230

13.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$199 TND 581

380.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$137 TND 398

249.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$384 TND 1,120

328.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$268 TND 781

357.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,068 TND 3,116

266.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$681 TND 1,988

847.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$314 TND 915

112.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.96

4.20%

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 Hellal: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $199 in Ksar Hellal. 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 113% 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 $24.00 in Ksar Hellal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $179 – making Ksar Hellal 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 Ksar Hellal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 98% more than Ksar Hellal, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $964 in Ksar Hellal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ksar Hellal, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 161% less in Ksar Hellal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $105 in Ksar Hellal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ksar Hellal, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Ksar Hellal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ksar Hellal costs $643 versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Ksar Hellal. 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.