Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mersa Matruh Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mersa Matruh

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $473 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $777 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,081 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 176% more than Mersa Matruh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Mersa Matruh are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Mersa Matruh 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$4.31 E£219

177.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$803

$16.68 E£849

184.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$4.83 E£246

143.27%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$69.9

$1.32 E£67.0

212.12%

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

$1.40 MX$23.71

$0.35 E£17.56

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.46

$0.11 E£5.66

727.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.3

$1.36 E£69.4

136.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.87 E£146

146.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.40

$0.85 E£43.34

97.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.43

$0.71 E£36.12

202.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.06

$0.62 E£31.75

185.48%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.69

$1.21 E£61.7

133.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$3.81 E£194

141.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$156

$4.59 E£234

101.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$9.29 E£473

36.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.99

$1.57 E£79.8

87.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.75

$0.79 E£40.08

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.65

$0.58 E£29.38

282.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.03

$0.38 E£19.35

521.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.76

$0.25 E£12.72

696.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.53

$0.33 E£16.85

500.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.01

$0.27 E£13.69

359.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.52

$0.22 E£11.19

450.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.0

$2.00 E£102

130.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$6.02 E£306

74.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.66

$1.29 E£65.6

31.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.00

$2.74 E£139

1.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.21

$0.20 E£10.16

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.7

$0.57 E£28.80

819.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.8

$0.42 E£21.47

769.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.0

$1.91 E£97.3

202.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.06

$0.44 E£22.46

250.00%

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

$22.8K MX$386.3K

$33.9K E£1.7M

-32.73%

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

$25.8K MX$437.3K

$28.6K E£1.5M

-9.87%

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

$90.7 MX$1,536

$14.34 E£729

532.29%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$7.11 E£362

254.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$538

$13.70 E£697

131.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$18.94 E£963

263.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.4

$2.99 E£152

62.54%

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

$226 MX$3,823

$84.7 E£4,309

166.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.0K

$2,122 E£108.0K

97.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$803

$32.80 E£1,668

44.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$736

$44.31 E£2,254

-1.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,359

$126 E£6,394

-36.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,548

$54.7 E£2,781

67.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$141 E£7,169

670.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,923

$77.5 E£3,943

427.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.4K

$263 E£13.4K

650.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$152 E£7,732

743.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.5K

$786 E£40.0K

414.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.6K

$447 E£22.7K

1400.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$97.6 E£4,964

692.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

21.33

-46.32%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mersa Matruh: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $141 in Mersa Matruh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 692% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $17.00 in Mersa Matruh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $131 – making Mersa Matruh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Mersa Matruh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 176% more than Mersa Matruh, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $710 in Mersa Matruh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mersa Matruh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $17.00 in Mersa Matruh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 112% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mersa Matruh, where all-in costs run around $473, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Mersa Matruh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mersa Matruh costs $473 versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Mersa Matruh. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.