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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $606 in Ouargla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $982 in Ouargla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,359 in Ouargla.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 112% more expensive than Ouargla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Ouargla 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$3.21 DZD 426

271.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$24.04 DZD 3,185

77.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$3.80 DZD 504

178.68%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$0.76 DZD 101

376.32%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.62 DZD 81.6

137.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.21 DZD 27.73

347.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.01 DZD 266

53.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.32 DZD 308

92.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.03 DZD 136

38.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.17 DZD 22.72

1005.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.61 DZD 214

1.24%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.81 DZD 240

45.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$8.79 DZD 1,165

-6.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.36 DZD 711

54.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$16.57 DZD 2,195

-33.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.17 DZD 420

-16.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.94 DZD 389

-48.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.76 DZD 233

13.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.78 DZD 104

166.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.55 DZD 73.2

225.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.47 DZD 61.6

363.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.65 DZD 86.4

66.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.28 DZD 36.69

271.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.70 DZD 358

47.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$7.48 DZD 991

36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.30 DZD 172

33.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.08 DZD 275

20.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.23 DZD 30.24

126.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$17.24 DZD 2,284

56.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.66 DZD 87.8

375.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.33 DZD 44.29

627.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$5.41 DZD 717

-42.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.37 DZD 48.45

243.24%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$31.8K DZD 4.2M

-2.98%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$33.7K DZD 4.5M

-30.81%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$41.03 DZD 5,436

99.88%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$9.60 DZD 1,272

133.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$16.71 DZD 2,214

77.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$23.19 DZD 3,072

123.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.54 DZD 734

-10.29%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$93.0 DZD 12.3K

112.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$3,620 DZD 479.7K

45.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$37.03 DZD 4,906

-1.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$46.01 DZD 6,097

-12.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$74.7 DZD 9,898

6.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$75.6 DZD 10.0K

17.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$197 DZD 26.1K

389.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$118 DZD 15.6K

295.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$271 DZD 35.9K

489.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$180 DZD 23.9K

570.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Ouargla: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $197 in Ouargla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $24.00 in Ouargla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $207 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 112% 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 $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $908 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $197 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 56% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $93.0 in Ouargla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $606 in Ouargla versus $1,287 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 $606 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 112% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.