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: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $475 in M'Sila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $795 in M'Sila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,115 in M'Sila.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 180% more expensive than in M'Sila, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, M'Sila 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$2.00 DZD 265

551.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$19.28 DZD 2,555

139.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$3.86 DZD 512

226.17%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$0.40 DZD 53.2

900.00%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$0.53 DZD 69.8

167.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.20 DZD 26.82

305.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$2.29 DZD 304

33.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$2.28 DZD 303

199.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$0.82 DZD 109

108.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$0.13 DZD 17.85

1607.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.16 DZD 154

48.28%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$1.36 DZD 181

99.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$3.04 DZD 402

208.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$4.14 DZD 549

114.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$9.77 DZD 1,294

30.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$2.60 DZD 344

20.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$2.79 DZD 369

-44.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$1.28 DZD 170

67.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$0.55 DZD 72.5

327.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$0.52 DZD 69.4

288.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$0.31 DZD 41.61

541.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$0.12 DZD 16.16

933.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.26 DZD 34.01

357.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$2.69 DZD 356

72.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$7.12 DZD 944

47.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$1.31 DZD 174

20.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$2.00 DZD 266

46.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.16 DZD 20.89

250.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$5.50 DZD 729

441.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$0.56 DZD 73.6

850.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$0.49 DZD 64.8

659.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$5.82 DZD 771

-0.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$0.33 DZD 43.41

369.70%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$36.1K DZD 4.8M

-38.05%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$35.5K DZD 4.7M

-28.03%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$23.92 DZD 3,171

273.24%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$8.06 DZD 1,069

189.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$13.49 DZD 1,788

135.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$19.81 DZD 2,625

247.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$4.59 DZD 608

10.24%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$120 DZD 15.9K

85.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$6,587 DZD 873.1K

-34.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$33.57 DZD 4,449

37.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$35.72 DZD 4,734

24.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$70.1 DZD 9,291

36.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$84.9 DZD 11.3K

8.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$147 DZD 19.5K

624.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$88.5 DZD 11.7K

344.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$277 DZD 36.7K

618.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$201 DZD 26.6K

550.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$1,154 DZD 152.9K

249.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$650 DZD 86.2K

919.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$247 DZD 32.7K

202.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

5.3

118.87%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for M'Sila: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $147 in M'Sila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 203% 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: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $19.00 in M'Sila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $147 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, Getting Around. The 180% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 203% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $147 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 441% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $222 in Playa del Carmen versus $120 in M'Sila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $475 in M'Sila versus $1,330 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 180% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.