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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $669 in Manouba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,059 in Manouba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,450 in Manouba.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 89% more expensive than in Manouba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Manouba 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.40 TND 9.85

241.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$20.51 TND 59.5

129.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.23 TND 18.06

90.69%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.11 TND 3.23

258.56%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.66 TND 1.91

116.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.26 TND 0.74

215.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.68 TND 4.86

89.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.38 TND 6.92

185.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$0.51 TND 1.49

229.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.25 TND 0.73

780.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.35 TND 3.93

26.67%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.61 TND 4.68

70.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$10.39 TND 30.15

-7.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.69 TND 16.52

58.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$14.43 TND 41.85

-11.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.87 TND 5.42

54.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$3.26 TND 9.47

-53.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.11 TND 3.21

93.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$0.72 TND 2.09

213.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.84 TND 2.44

135.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.66 TND 1.90

201.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.53 TND 1.54

132.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.31 TND 0.90

287.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$3.67 TND 10.66

23.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$6.80 TND 19.73

52.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.21 TND 3.51

33.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.07 TND 3.11

169.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.36 TND 1.03

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$10.47 TND 30.37

175.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.30 TND 0.87

1696.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.34 TND 0.99

997.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$1.82 TND 5.29

217.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.84 TND 2.44

83.33%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$37.4K TND 108.4K

-39.65%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$35.5K TND 102.9K

-26.54%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$46.62 TND 135

96.01%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$9.00 TND 26.10

180.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$21.15 TND 61.3

47.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$27.49 TND 79.7

144.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$13.98 TND 40.55

108.23%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.60 TND 16.23

-13.21%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$99.3 TND 288

125.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$2,561 TND 7,427

65.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$43.03 TND 125

9.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$36.28 TND 105

22.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$112 TND 324

-28.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$68.2 TND 198

35.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$215 TND 625

393.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$161 TND 466

142.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$376 TND 1,090

472.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$281 TND 815

352.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$996 TND 2,888

301.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$641 TND 1,858

914.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.28

11.38%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Manouba: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $215 in Manouba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Manouba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $191 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 89% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $669 including rent). Manouba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,003 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $215 in Manouba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $669 in Manouba versus $1,266 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 89% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.