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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $630 in Manouba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $965 in Manouba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,301 in Manouba.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Manouba 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$3.46 TND 10.16

238.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$726

$20.39 TND 59.9

105.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.16 TND 15.13

103.68%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.1

$1.07 TND 3.15

235.51%

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

$1.51 MX$26.13

$0.60 TND 1.76

151.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.86

$0.23 TND 0.67

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.54 TND 4.51

92.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.4

$2.35 TND 6.89

87.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.19

$0.49 TND 1.44

185.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.65

$0.16 TND 0.46

1075.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.01

$1.51 TND 4.42

3.31%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.20

$1.48 TND 4.34

76.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$10.41 TND 30.53

-20.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.84 TND 17.15

42.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$13.27 TND 38.94

-18.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.00

$2.04 TND 5.98

32.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.08

$3.00 TND 8.79

-49.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.46

$1.01 TND 2.96

85.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.94

$0.68 TND 1.99

222.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.18

$0.69 TND 2.04

169.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.64

$0.60 TND 1.75

271.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.51

$0.47 TND 1.37

127.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.82

$0.29 TND 0.84

275.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.5

$3.46 TND 10.14

21.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$181

$5.19 TND 15.24

100.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.72

$1.15 TND 3.36

44.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.26

$1.07 TND 3.14

143.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.39

$0.36 TND 1.05

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$10.19 TND 29.90

156.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.32 TND 0.95

862.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.66

$0.33 TND 0.98

627.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.2

$3.36 TND 9.85

-6.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$0.83 TND 2.43

57.83%

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

$29.8K MX$516.4K

$35.6K TND 104.4K

-16.19%

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

$23.3K MX$404.1K

$34.5K TND 101.2K

-32.37%

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

$81.3 MX$1,408

$45.81 TND 134

77.43%

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

$22.56 MX$391

$9.76 TND 28.63

131.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$521

$21.43 TND 62.9

40.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$917

$23.65 TND 69.4

123.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$12.67 TND 37.19

45.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.2

$5.32 TND 15.62

-7.52%

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

$201 MX$3,479

$108 TND 316

86.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.7K

$2,474 TND 7,260

109.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$45.12 TND 132

-20.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$695

$43.94 TND 129

-8.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,381

$94.9 TND 278

-15.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,498

$63.8 TND 187

35.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$200 TND 587

388.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,152

$152 TND 446

209.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$271 TND 796

509.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.9K

$204 TND 599

489.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.5K

$1,071 TND 3,143

269.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.5K

$650 TND 1,907

916.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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 Manouba: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $200 in Manouba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $20.00 in Manouba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $181 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 ($1,260 vs $630 including rent). Manouba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $945 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: $978 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 39% 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 $20.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $630 in Manouba versus $1,260 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.