Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and M'Sila Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and M'Sila

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $536 in M'Sila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $845 in M'Sila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,154 in M'Sila.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 135% more expensive than M'Sila, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, M'Sila 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$1.91 DZD 252

510.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$19.57 DZD 2,590

114.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$3.83 DZD 507

171.54%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$0.41 DZD 53.9

780.49%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$0.56 DZD 74.4

162.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.16 DZD 21.57

468.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$2.00 DZD 265

51.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$2.40 DZD 318

86.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$0.84 DZD 111

64.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$0.11 DZD 14.75

1572.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.43 DZD 189

12.59%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$1.45 DZD 192

77.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$3.10 DZD 411

173.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$5.46 DZD 723

55.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$9.36 DZD 1,239

17.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$3.13 DZD 414

-12.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$2.79 DZD 369

-46.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.71 DZD 226

14.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$0.58 DZD 77.1

265.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$0.53 DZD 69.9

250.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$0.29 DZD 38.25

648.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$0.13 DZD 17.26

723.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.30 DZD 39.92

250.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$2.73 DZD 361

53.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$7.08 DZD 937

45.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.34 DZD 178

24.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$2.11 DZD 279

18.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.23 DZD 30.35

134.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$17.27 DZD 2,285

52.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$0.67 DZD 88.3

362.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$0.36 DZD 47.72

583.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$5.40 DZD 715

-40.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$0.35 DZD 46.79

260.00%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$36.0K DZD 4.8M

-16.14%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$33.8K DZD 4.5M

-30.56%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$24.52 DZD 3,245

242.54%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$7.69 DZD 1,017

188.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$17.91 DZD 2,370

65.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$23.35 DZD 3,090

125.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$6.34 DZD 840

-21.92%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$92.8 DZD 12.3K

113.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$3,597 DZD 476.1K

47.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$36.87 DZD 4,880

-2.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$46.33 DZD 6,131

-13.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$75.0 DZD 9,924

5.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$76.9 DZD 10.2K

12.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$194 DZD 25.7K

402.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$117 DZD 15.5K

301.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$269 DZD 35.6K

493.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$180 DZD 23.8K

574.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$441 DZD 58.4K

814.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$654 DZD 86.6K

905.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

$256 DZD 33.9K

179.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.42

110.70%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for M'Sila: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $194 in M'Sila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 179% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $20 in M'Sila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $159 per month, with M'Sila 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 M'Sila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

M'Sila is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 135% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 179% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $194 in M'Sila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in M'Sila runs roughly 52% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $92.8 in M'Sila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $536 in M'Sila versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in M'Sila but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes M'Sila the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, M'Sila 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 M'Sila 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 M'Sila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.