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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $556 in Ouargla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $876 in Ouargla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,197 in Ouargla.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 128% more expensive than in Ouargla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Ouargla 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.45 DZD 459

236.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$15.16 DZD 2,018

210.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$4.44 DZD 591

167.57%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$0.73 DZD 96.8

445.21%

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

$1.43 MX$24.58

$0.71 DZD 95.0

101.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.31 DZD 41.93

164.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.48 DZD 196

115.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.28 DZD 303

197.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.86

$0.94 DZD 125

78.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.84

$0.15 DZD 20.09

1366.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.42

$1.25 DZD 167

36.80%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.21

$1.26 DZD 167

117.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$8.15 DZD 1,084

17.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.84 DZD 511

134.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$16.75 DZD 2,229

-23.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.75

$1.85 DZD 247

56.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.79

$2.56 DZD 341

-41.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.00

$1.23 DZD 164

74.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.92

$0.93 DZD 123

143.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.11

$0.61 DZD 81.7

224.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.27

$0.43 DZD 57.4

362.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.26

$0.78 DZD 104

57.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.61

$0.28 DZD 36.84

328.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.4

$2.69 DZD 358

69.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.93 DZD 1,056

30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.26 DZD 168

28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.61

$1.92 DZD 255

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.15 DZD 19.73

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$6.10 DZD 812

372.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.61 DZD 81.3

783.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.42 DZD 55.9

788.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.4

$5.47 DZD 728

5.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.46

$0.35 DZD 46.17

340.00%

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

$22.5K MX$388.4K

$34.8K DZD 4.6M

-35.23%

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

$26.1K MX$448.8K

$40.7K DZD 5.4M

-36.03%

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

$91.4 MX$1,574

$40.04 DZD 5,330

128.22%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$10.34 DZD 1,376

143.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$13.11 DZD 1,745

138.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,158

$22.47 DZD 2,991

199.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$4.58 DZD 609

6.11%

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

$224 MX$3,852

$100 DZD 13.3K

123.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$3,136 DZD 417.4K

34.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$31.19 DZD 4,152

51.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$32.34 DZD 4,305

36.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,380

$77.5 DZD 10.3K

3.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$73.6 DZD 9,793

25.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$158 DZD 21.1K

571.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,721

$93.0 DZD 12.4K

319.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$306 DZD 40.7K

603.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$184 DZD 24.5K

592.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$1,465 DZD 195.0K

173.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.3

116.04%

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 Ouargla: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $158 in Ouargla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $15.00 in Ouargla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $184 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 128% 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 $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $834 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $158 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 372% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $100 in Ouargla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $556 in Ouargla versus $1,266 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 $556 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 128% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.