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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $670 in New Cairo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,017 in New Cairo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,364 in New Cairo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 93% more expensive than New Cairo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, New Cairo 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.90 E£202

200.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$20.06 E£1,041

107.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.02 E£261

111.95%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$1.56 E£80.9

125.64%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.34 E£17.43

344.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.13 E£6.75

646.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.41 E£73.2

109.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$2.71 E£141

64.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$0.88 E£45.62

56.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.60 E£30.92

215.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.68 E£35.50

141.18%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.52 E£78.8

65.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$3.89 E£202

114.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$4.35 E£226

91.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$9.01 E£468

19.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.51 E£78.5

72.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$0.57 E£29.44

156.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$0.51 E£26.65

272.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$0.39 E£20.15

433.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$0.50 E£25.73

256.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$0.44 E£22.75

397.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.22 E£11.37

372.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.20 E£10.26

440.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$1.94 E£101

110.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$8.71 E£452

18.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.30 E£67.4

31.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.85 E£95.8

39.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.23 E£11.72

121.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$0.42 E£21.78

676.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.31 E£16.10

703.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$1.96 E£102

65.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$0.30 E£15.79

336.67%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$35.7K E£1.9M

-15.08%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$33.5K E£1.7M

-30.11%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$25.29 E£1,313

227.68%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$7.10 E£369

212.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$11.26 E£584

160.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$24.90 E£1,292

107.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$6.73 E£349

172.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$3.51 E£182

44.44%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$91.8 E£4,766

118.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$1,994 E£103.5K

161.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$31.73 E£1,647

16.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$49.38 E£2,563

-19.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$107 E£5,546

-26.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$50.2 E£2,603

73.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$337 E£17.5K

188.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$286 E£14.8K

63.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$505 E£26.2K

225.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$422 E£21.9K

189.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$1,211 E£62.9K

225.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$676 E£35.1K

861.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$191 E£9,915

247.53%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for New Cairo: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $337 in New Cairo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 248% 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 $132 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 93% 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 248% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $337 in New Cairo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $670 in New Cairo – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $670 in New Cairo versus $1,297 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 $670 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 93% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.