Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Laayoune

For one person, living is cheaper in Laayoune: $117 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Laayoune

🇪🇭 Western Sahara

$117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Laayoune

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 Laayoune actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $117 in Laayoune, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Laayoune $117

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $170 in Laayoune, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Laayoune $170

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $223 in Laayoune, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Laayoune $223

Playa del Carmen costs about 928% more than Laayoune, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Laayoune are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Laayoune 91% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$4.09 MAD 39.95

160.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$3.33 MAD 32.56

254.05%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$2.00 MAD 19.59

89.50%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$0.39 MAD 3.81

233.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$0.30 MAD 2.92

176.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.47

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.36

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.78

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.69

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.06

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$0.68 MAD 6.69

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$0.69 MAD 6.74

589.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$0.68 MAD 6.63

377.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$1.35 MAD 13.16

13.33%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

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

$23.19 MX$431

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$20.06 MAD 196

37.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

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

$207 MX$3,854

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$45.77 MAD 447

-5.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Laayoune: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Laayoune

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Laayoune

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Laayoune

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Laayoune

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Laayoune

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Laayoune

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Laayoune

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇪🇭 Laayoune

🕒 Local time

12:36 12:36 PM

17:36 5:36 PM

5 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

196,331 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.79 EUR

100 MAD = 10.23 USD

100 MAD = 9.13 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.86 MXN (100 MXN = 4.79 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 9.77 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.13 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Laayoune 7,440 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Laayoune

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 Laayoune: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 928%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $175 in Laayoune. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Laayoune, where all-in costs run around $117, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Laayoune it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $117 in Laayoune to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.