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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $604 in Ouargla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $975 in Ouargla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,346 in Ouargla.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 111% more expensive than 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

$11.87 MX$204

$3.12 DZD 413

280.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$738

$23.49 DZD 3,115

82.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$3.83 DZD 509

178.07%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.3

$0.74 DZD 97.9

366.22%

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

$1.50 MX$25.88

$0.60 DZD 80.2

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.33

$0.21 DZD 27.84

352.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.1

$1.99 DZD 264

52.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.3

$2.43 DZD 322

89.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.68

$1.03 DZD 136

33.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.80

$0.14 DZD 17.94

1221.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.73

$1.59 DZD 211

1.26%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.64

$1.84 DZD 244

40.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$8.73 DZD 1,158

-5.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.27 DZD 699

58.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$184

$16.77 DZD 2,224

-36.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.25

$3.10 DZD 410

-15.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.61

$2.92 DZD 387

-48.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.04

$1.78 DZD 236

7.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.91

$0.74 DZD 98.7

182.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.97

$0.56 DZD 74.2

232.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.92

$0.50 DZD 66.2

352.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.29

$0.61 DZD 80.8

73.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.72

$0.28 DZD 36.98

289.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.4

$2.83 DZD 376

46.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$179

$6.11 DZD 811

70.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.68

$1.34 DZD 178

28.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.98

$2.08 DZD 276

25.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.32

$0.25 DZD 33.32

116.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$464

$17.10 DZD 2,267

57.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.8

$0.70 DZD 93.3

347.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.21

$0.36 DZD 48.06

597.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.2

$5.40 DZD 716

-41.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.95

$0.34 DZD 44.43

273.53%

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

$30.4K MX$522.8K

$32.6K DZD 4.3M

-6.84%

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

$23.6K MX$405.6K

$33.7K DZD 4.5M

-30.14%

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

$83.0 MX$1,429

$41.07 DZD 5,446

102.09%

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

$22.71 MX$391

$9.20 DZD 1,220

146.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$507

$16.89 DZD 2,240

74.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$878

$23.01 DZD 3,051

121.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.8

$5.50 DZD 729

-10.36%

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

$197 MX$3,396

$93.1 DZD 12.3K

111.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.9K

$3,547 DZD 470.4K

48.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$635

$36.39 DZD 4,826

1.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$687

$44.98 DZD 5,965

-11.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,377

$73.7 DZD 9,775

8.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,540

$77.3 DZD 10.2K

15.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.5K

$195 DZD 25.8K

390.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,212

$113 DZD 15.0K

322.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$269 DZD 35.7K

510.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.1K

$180 DZD 23.9K

579.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.4K

$1,163 DZD 154.2K

236.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$111.2K

$978 DZD 129.7K

560.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.5K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ouargla: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $195 in Ouargla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $23.00 in Ouargla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $204 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 111% 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 $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $905 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $195 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 58% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $93.1 in Ouargla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $604 in Ouargla versus $1,271 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 $604 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 111% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.