Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Manouba Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Manouba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $643 in Manouba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $979 in Manouba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,314 in Manouba.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 100% more expensive than Manouba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Manouba 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$3.46 TND 9.99

245.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$20.66 TND 59.7

106.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.23 TND 15.10

102.49%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.08 TND 3.11

235.19%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.60 TND 1.73

145.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.25 TND 0.73

276.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.56 TND 4.51

98.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.43 TND 7.03

83.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.47 TND 1.35

204.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.20 TND 0.57

840.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.49 TND 4.29

9.40%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.49 TND 4.30

77.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$10.68 TND 30.87

-23.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.67 TND 16.39

46.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$13.74 TND 39.70

-19.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.03 TND 5.86

30.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$3.07 TND 8.87

-51.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.05 TND 3.03

89.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.74 TND 2.13

181.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.72 TND 2.08

148.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.60 TND 1.73

263.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.43 TND 1.25

151.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.31 TND 0.90

235.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.35 TND 9.69

18.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$5.00 TND 14.45

104.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.10 TND 3.19

57.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.06 TND 3.06

135.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.33 TND 0.95

57.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$10.04 TND 29.03

168.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.29 TND 0.85

982.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.31 TND 0.89

674.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$3.43 TND 9.91

-9.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.86 TND 2.50

47.67%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$35.2K TND 101.8K

-12.37%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$34.8K TND 100.5K

-32.97%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$44.88 TND 130

82.73%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$9.72 TND 28.08

130.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$21.08 TND 60.9

40.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$23.37 TND 67.5

121.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$12.72 TND 36.77

46.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.51 TND 15.92

-9.80%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$109 TND 314

82.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$2,524 TND 7,295

108.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$44.16 TND 128

-17.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$44.44 TND 128

-9.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$96.0 TND 278

-16.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$64.1 TND 185

38.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$200 TND 579

380.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$153 TND 442

203.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$276 TND 798

477.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$206 TND 594

487.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$880 TND 2,542

348.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$562 TND 1,625

1046.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Manouba: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $200 in Manouba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Manouba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $183 per month, with Manouba 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 Manouba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Manouba differ by about 100% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $643 including rent). Manouba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $964 in Manouba to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $200 in Manouba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Manouba – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $643 in Manouba versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Manouba but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Manouba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Manouba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.