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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $649 in Ksar Hellal, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,052 in Ksar Hellal, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,455 in Ksar Hellal, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 94% 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 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$4.02 TND 11.78

191.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$24.11 TND 70.8

73.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.06 TND 14.84

107.71%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$0.95 TND 2.80

277.89%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.65 TND 1.90

132.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.29 TND 0.84

217.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.72 TND 5.06

72.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$1.66 TND 4.86

165.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$0.46 TND 1.36

204.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.18 TND 0.53

944.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.26 TND 3.70

23.81%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.55 TND 4.56

68.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$10.30 TND 30.22

-19.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.76 TND 16.90

44.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$13.78 TND 40.44

-21.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.51 TND 4.43

79.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$3.05 TND 8.96

-50.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$0.99 TND 2.90

88.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.59 TND 1.73

271.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.65 TND 1.90

186.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.59 TND 1.72

277.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.40 TND 1.18

167.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.32 TND 0.94

240.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$3.48 TND 10.22

20.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$5.11 TND 15.01

104.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.15 TND 3.38

44.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.09 TND 3.21

139.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.35 TND 1.03

54.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$10.25 TND 30.08

155.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.32 TND 0.94

862.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.30 TND 0.89

700.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$3.49 TND 10.23

-10.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.83 TND 2.43

57.83%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$40.9K TND 120.1K

-27.17%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$37.7K TND 110.5K

-38.08%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$57.9 TND 170

40.48%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$9.99 TND 29.31

125.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$18.28 TND 53.6

64.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$29.20 TND 85.7

81.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$12.85 TND 37.70

43.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$5.48 TND 16.08

-10.22%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$105 TND 308

91.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,143 TND 9,223

64.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$41.20 TND 121

-12.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$60.0 TND 176

-33.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$97.8 TND 287

-18.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$79.4 TND 233

8.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$196 TND 576

398.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$135 TND 395

249.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$374 TND 1,098

341.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$267 TND 783

350.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$903 TND 2,649

337.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$641 TND 1,882

930.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$299 TND 879

125.95%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ksar Hellal: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $196 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 126% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $24.00 in Ksar Hellal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $178 – 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 94% 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $974 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 155% less in Ksar Hellal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $201 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 $649, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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 $649 versus $1,260 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.