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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $476 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $752 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,028 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 167% more than Mersa Matruh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Mersa Matruh are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Mersa Matruh 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$207

$3.64 E£189

226.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$749

$15.86 E£825

170.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$186

$4.72 E£245

125.64%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$60.2

$1.51 E£78.5

128.48%

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

$1.50 MX$26.27

$0.29 E£15.04

417.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.57

$0.12 E£6.21

691.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.9

$1.22 E£63.6

148.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$80.5

$3.05 E£158

51.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.03

$0.87 E£45.21

58.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$32.27

$0.72 E£37.60

156.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.14

$0.71 E£36.67

126.76%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.30

$1.46 E£75.8

77.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$144

$3.95 E£206

109.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$146

$4.46 E£232

87.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$186

$9.72 E£505

9.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.93

$1.42 E£73.6

85.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.99

$0.54 E£28.03

175.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.53

$0.43 E£22.31

346.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.44

$0.37 E£19.14

464.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.44

$0.38 E£19.65

389.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.50

$0.40 E£20.88

465.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.56

$0.24 E£12.55

341.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$19.00

$0.18 E£9.40

505.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.5

$2.02 E£105

105.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$182

$5.73 E£298

81.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$30.12

$1.34 E£69.9

28.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.64

$2.67 E£139

-2.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.46

$0.17 E£9.06

217.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$471

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.6

$0.53 E£27.54

490.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.85

$0.43 E£22.13

483.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$2.00 E£104

57.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.27

$0.33 E£17.23

284.85%

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

$30.4K MX$530.6K

$35.4K E£1.8M

-14.24%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$33.4K E£1.7M

-29.54%

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

$83.0 MX$1,450

$11.36 E£591

630.63%

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

$22.71 MX$397

$5.80 E£301

291.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$515

$9.94 E£517

196.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$891

$22.08 E£1,148

130.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$320

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$2.93 E£152

68.26%

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

$197 MX$3,447

$88.8 E£4,619

122.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$92.2K

$1,820 E£94.6K

190.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$645

$27.94 E£1,453

32.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$697

$49.40 E£2,569

-19.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,398

$107 E£5,586

-25.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,563

$50.1 E£2,603

78.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.7K

$192 E£9,982

398.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,334

$98.0 E£5,093

387.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.8K

$312 E£16.2K

427.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.4K

$178 E£9,236

589.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$68.4K

$706 E£36.7K

455.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$112.8K

$356 E£18.5K

1714.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.7K

$95.8 E£4,980

596.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-32.82%

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 Mersa Matruh: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $192 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 596% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in Mersa Matruh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $130 – 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 167% more than Mersa Matruh, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $714 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $16.00 in Mersa Matruh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 92% 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 $476, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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 $476 versus $1,271 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.