Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nabeul Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nabeul

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $687 in Nabeul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,095 in Nabeul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,503 in Nabeul.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 84% more expensive than in Nabeul, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Nabeul 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.32 TND 12.52

168.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$21.95 TND 63.7

114.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$4.87 TND 14.14

143.94%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.59 TND 4.61

150.31%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.63 TND 1.82

126.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.57 TND 1.66

43.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.75 TND 5.09

82.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$1.74 TND 5.04

290.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$0.48 TND 1.40

250.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.20 TND 0.58

1000.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.40 TND 4.07

22.14%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.57 TND 4.56

74.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$11.86 TND 34.40

-19.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.31 TND 18.31

42.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$12.82 TND 37.19

-0.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.98 TND 5.76

45.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$3.78 TND 10.96

-60.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.35 TND 3.91

59.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$0.79 TND 2.28

186.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.62 TND 1.79

219.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.81 TND 2.34

145.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.52 TND 1.52

136.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.36 TND 1.03

233.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$3.47 TND 10.06

31.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$5.08 TND 14.72

104.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.24 TND 3.59

30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.35 TND 3.91

113.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.84 TND 2.42

-28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.32 TND 0.93

1584.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.35 TND 1.02

965.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.89 TND 2.58

73.03%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$41.1K TND 119.2K

-45.11%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$37.0K TND 107.4K

-29.64%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$60.8 TND 176

50.25%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$10.75 TND 31.19

134.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$20.69 TND 60.0

50.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$29.88 TND 86.7

124.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$14.36 TND 41.65

102.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.53 TND 16.04

-12.12%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$62.2 TND 180

259.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$3,891 TND 11.3K

8.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$38.70 TND 112

21.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$58.3 TND 169

-23.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$99.0 TND 287

-19.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$66.3 TND 192

39.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$235 TND 682

352.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$157 TND 456

148.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$386 TND 1,119

456.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$284 TND 825

347.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$876 TND 2,540

356.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$832 TND 2,412

681.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$270 TND 782

181.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.33

10.84%

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 Nabeul: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $235 in Nabeul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 181% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Nabeul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $195 per month, with Nabeul 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 Nabeul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nabeul wins on cost – living expenses run 84% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nabeul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 181% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $235 in Nabeul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $62.2 in Nabeul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nabeul – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $687 in Nabeul versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nabeul but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Nabeul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nabeul delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $687 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nabeul hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Nabeul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.