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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $727 in New Cairo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,099 in New Cairo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,470 in New Cairo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 74% more expensive than in New Cairo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, New Cairo 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$5.85 E£305

98.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$26.40 E£1,377

78.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$5.62 E£293

111.39%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.07 E£108

92.27%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.39 E£20.36

266.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.14 E£7.30

485.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.30 E£120

38.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.85 E£149

138.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$0.92 E£47.94

82.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.03 E£53.9

113.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$0.73 E£38.30

134.25%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.48 E£77.1

85.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$4.42 E£230

116.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.45 E£284

65.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$8.58 E£447

49.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.81 E£94.4

59.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.76 E£39.40

97.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$0.50 E£26.29

330.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$0.42 E£21.85

438.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.33 E£17.15

500.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.49 E£25.38

306.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.21 E£10.94

485.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.22 E£11.44

445.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$1.96 E£102

132.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$9.57 E£499

8.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.38 E£71.9

17.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.13 E£111

35.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.28 E£14.40

114.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.61 E£31.68

783.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.24 E£12.53

1454.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$3.78 E£197

52.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.42 E£21.66

266.67%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$33.0K E£1.7M

-31.59%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$27.0K E£1.4M

-3.65%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$43.18 E£2,252

111.63%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$9.69 E£506

160.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$14.71 E£767

112.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$29.35 E£1,531

128.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$6.59 E£344

341.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$3.32 E£173

46.39%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$190 E£9,917

17.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$4,648 E£242.4K

-9.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$47.06 E£2,454

0.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$54.2 E£2,827

-18.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$118 E£6,133

-31.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$59.0 E£3,074

57.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$306 E£15.9K

247.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$247 E£12.9K

58.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$545 E£28.4K

294.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$361 E£18.8K

252.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,225 E£63.9K

226.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$678 E£35.4K

858.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$186 E£9,702

307.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.4

0.44%

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 New Cairo: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $306 in New Cairo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 308% 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 $26.00 in New Cairo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $148 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 74% 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 308% 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 $306 in New Cairo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $727 in New Cairo – a 74% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $727 in New Cairo versus $1,266 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 $727 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 74% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.