Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and New Cairo Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and New Cairo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $691 in New Cairo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,015 in New Cairo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,339 in New Cairo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 82% more expensive than in New Cairo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, New Cairo 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$3.92 E£200

205.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$20.13 E£1,028

107.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.81 E£245

123.49%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.50 E£76.5

133.33%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.36 E£18.47

302.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.15 E£7.64

486.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.35 E£68.8

118.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.79 E£143

61.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.92 E£47.16

55.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.63 E£32.38

192.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.72 E£36.98

118.06%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.47 E£74.9

70.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$3.97 E£202

108.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.51 E£230

86.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$9.07 E£463

17.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.56 E£79.5

67.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.55 E£28.17

161.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.47 E£23.96

317.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.41 E£21.18

409.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.50 E£25.63

270.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.40 E£20.52

442.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.22 E£11.22

368.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.22 E£11.18

386.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$2.04 E£104

100.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$9.18 E£468

10.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.30 E£66.5

29.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.86 E£94.9

36.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.18 E£8.99

183.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.41 E£21.02

687.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.31 E£15.98

677.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.00 E£102

61.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.33 E£17.05

300.00%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$35.3K E£1.8M

-15.81%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$33.6K E£1.7M

-29.62%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$25.21 E£1,287

225.31%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$7.09 E£362

223.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$11.37 E£580

164.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$25.03 E£1,278

107.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$6.77 E£346

173.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$3.62 E£185

37.57%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$90.8 E£4,636

117.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$1,950 E£99.5K

173.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$31.42 E£1,604

13.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$49.25 E£2,514

-18.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$107 E£5,473

-26.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$51.3 E£2,621

73.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$348 E£17.8K

171.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$279 E£14.2K

70.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$505 E£25.8K

225.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$410 E£21.0K

194.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,254 E£64.0K

223.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$682 E£34.8K

849.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$194 E£9,895

237.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

16.67

-31.49%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for New Cairo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $348 in New Cairo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 237% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $20.00 in New Cairo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $136 per month, with New Cairo 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 New Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Cairo wins on cost – living expenses run 82% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making New Cairo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 237% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $348 in New Cairo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $691 in New Cairo – a 82% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $691 in New Cairo versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in New Cairo but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes New Cairo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but New Cairo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $691 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes New Cairo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and New Cairo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find New Cairo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.