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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $679 in Oujda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,026 in Oujda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,373 in Oujda.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 85% more expensive than in Oujda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Oujda 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$2.77 MAD 25.91

332.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$11.02 MAD 103

279.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.10 MAD 47.69

110.78%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.45 MAD 13.58

141.38%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.47 MAD 4.44

208.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.28 MAD 2.59

214.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.52 MAD 23.62

17.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.54 MAD 33.17

27.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.82 MAD 7.68

74.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.60 MAD 5.59

206.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.91 MAD 17.90

-17.80%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.02 MAD 18.92

24.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$12.95 MAD 121

-36.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.25 MAD 49.11

60.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$8.99 MAD 84.1

18.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.53 MAD 14.31

70.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.39 MAD 12.97

3.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.74 MAD 6.88

164.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.81 MAD 7.60

158.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.61 MAD 5.72

203.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.69 MAD 6.45

214.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.87 MAD 8.12

18.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.62 MAD 5.79

72.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$4.11 MAD 38.47

-0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$12.30 MAD 115

-17.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$2.39 MAD 22.38

-29.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$3.05 MAD 28.55

-17.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.40 MAD 3.72

27.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$16.38 MAD 153

58.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.56 MAD 5.28

476.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.61 MAD 5.75

295.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.46 MAD 41.70

-27.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.60 MAD 14.98

-17.50%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$37.3K MAD 349.4K

-20.48%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$29.5K MAD 276.4K

-19.91%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$35.96 MAD 336

128.06%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$10.99 MAD 103

108.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$54.7 MAD 512

-44.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$20.33 MAD 190

155.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$16.15 MAD 151

14.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$6.60 MAD 61.7

-24.55%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$62.2 MAD 582

217.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$1,964 MAD 18.4K

171.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$23.54 MAD 220

51.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$46.91 MAD 439

-14.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$76.2 MAD 713

3.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$62.8 MAD 587

41.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$209 MAD 1,953

353.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$134 MAD 1,253

253.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$404 MAD 3,782

306.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$282 MAD 2,637

329.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$820 MAD 7,669

394.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$513 MAD 4,796

1162.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$380 MAD 3,554

72.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.78

138.91%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Oujda: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $209 in Oujda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 72% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $11.00 in Oujda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $202 per month, with Oujda 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 Oujda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oujda wins on cost – living expenses run 85% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Oujda the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 72% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $209 in Oujda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Oujda – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $679 in Oujda versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Oujda but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Oujda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Oujda delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $679 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Oujda hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Oujda 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 Oujda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.