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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $651 in Manouba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $995 in Manouba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,339 in Manouba.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 95% more expensive than Manouba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Manouba 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.33 TND 9.70

256.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$20.05 TND 58.5

113.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.94 TND 14.40

115.59%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.03 TND 3.00

234.95%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.64 TND 1.88

134.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.25 TND 0.73

280.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.48 TND 4.31

104.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.44 TND 7.11

88.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.46 TND 1.35

200.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.18 TND 0.53

927.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.48 TND 4.32

8.78%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.48 TND 4.31

75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.69 TND 31.19

-22.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.81 TND 16.94

44.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$13.37 TND 39.00

-20.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.09 TND 6.09

25.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.93 TND 8.54

-49.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.01 TND 2.95

90.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.74 TND 2.15

182.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.69 TND 2.02

169.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.60 TND 1.75

276.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.43 TND 1.26

146.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.29 TND 0.84

275.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.30 TND 9.62

25.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.09 TND 14.86

104.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.09 TND 3.17

57.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.05 TND 3.07

148.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.35 TND 1.04

54.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$10.01 TND 29.20

169.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.32 TND 0.95

878.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.33 TND 0.97

660.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$3.48 TND 10.16

-9.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.86 TND 2.51

47.67%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$36.1K TND 105.4K

-15.94%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$35.2K TND 102.7K

-33.06%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$45.69 TND 133

81.66%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$9.48 TND 27.67

139.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$20.95 TND 61.1

40.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$24.16 TND 70.5

111.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$12.73 TND 37.14

43.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.46 TND 15.92

-9.71%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$106 TND 311

85.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$2,477 TND 7,228

113.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$44.60 TND 130

-17.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$43.33 TND 126

-7.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$98.1 TND 286

-18.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$66.3 TND 194

34.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$207 TND 604

361.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$156 TND 454

206.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$272 TND 793

505.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$201 TND 587

508.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$934 TND 2,726

319.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$685 TND 1,999

842.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Manouba: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $207 in Manouba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $20.00 in Manouba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 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 95% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $651 including rent). Manouba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $977 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $207 in Manouba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $651 in Manouba versus $1,271 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 95% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.