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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $605 in Ouargla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $962 in Ouargla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,319 in Ouargla.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 108% more expensive than in Ouargla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ouargla 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$3.12 DZD 412

275.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$23.79 DZD 3,146

76.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$3.96 DZD 523

165.40%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$0.73 DZD 96.7

391.78%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.57 DZD 75.3

164.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.21 DZD 27.73

338.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.99 DZD 263

48.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.39 DZD 317

84.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.04 DZD 138

34.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.14 DZD 18.10

1242.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.59 DZD 210

-1.89%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.80 DZD 237

45.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$9.17 DZD 1,212

-9.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.41 DZD 715

54.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$16.71 DZD 2,209

-35.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$3.09 DZD 409

-12.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.86 DZD 378

-47.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.72 DZD 227

8.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.79 DZD 104

177.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.56 DZD 73.4

232.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.46 DZD 60.6

384.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.61 DZD 80.7

75.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.30 DZD 40.13

263.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.71 DZD 359

54.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$6.08 DZD 804

71.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.34 DZD 178

23.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.15 DZD 284

21.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.25 DZD 33.32

116.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$17.67 DZD 2,336

48.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.66 DZD 87.2

366.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.36 DZD 48.20

566.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$5.17 DZD 684

-39.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.36 DZD 48.02

263.89%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$32.9K DZD 4.3M

-9.30%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$33.3K DZD 4.4M

-29.99%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$40.44 DZD 5,347

100.99%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$9.28 DZD 1,227

143.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$17.12 DZD 2,264

75.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$23.22 DZD 3,070

127.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$5.50 DZD 728

-10.55%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$92.6 DZD 12.2K

116.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,603 DZD 476.4K

43.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$36.59 DZD 4,838

-1.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$45.57 DZD 6,025

-11.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$75.6 DZD 10,000

5.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$77.2 DZD 10.2K

12.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$196 DZD 25.9K

399.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$116 DZD 15.4K

303.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$277 DZD 36.6K

496.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$185 DZD 24.5K

549.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,259 DZD 166.5K

213.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,122 DZD 148.4K

488.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.42

110.70%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ouargla: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $196 in Ouargla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $24.00 in Ouargla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $205 per month, with Ouargla 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 Ouargla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ouargla wins on cost – living expenses run 108% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ouargla the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $907 in Ouargla to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $196 in Ouargla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ouargla runs roughly 48% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $92.6 in Ouargla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $605 in Ouargla versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ouargla but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ouargla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ouargla delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $605 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ouargla hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Ouargla 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 Ouargla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.