Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Oujda

For one person, living is cheaper in Oujda: $636 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Oujda, Morocco
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Oujda
🇲🇦 Morocco
$636
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Oujda

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Oujda actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $636 in Oujda.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Oujda $636

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $989 in Oujda.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Oujda $989

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,342 in Oujda.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Oujda $1,342

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 89% more expensive than in Oujda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Oujda 53% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Oujda
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$200
$3.74 MAD 36.46
185.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$823
$18.03 MAD 176
142.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$221
$5.01 MAD 48.88
135.33%
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$71.1
$1.56 MAD 15.20
142.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.36
$0.45 MAD 4.36
188.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.65
$0.43 MAD 4.20
93.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$59.1
$2.59 MAD 25.28
21.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
$3.62 MAD 35.34
36.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Oujda
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.46
$0.78 MAD 7.57
80.77%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$41.23
$0.26 MAD 2.54
746.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.66
$1.88 MAD 18.32
-21.81%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.89
$1.87 MAD 18.29
33.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$137
$11.85 MAD 116
-38.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$149
$3.76 MAD 36.64
111.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$242
$8.72 MAD 85.1
47.48%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$54.4
$1.48 MAD 14.41
95.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.98
$1.34 MAD 13.06
2.99%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.78
$0.94 MAD 9.12
164.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$38.12
$1.00 MAD 9.72
103.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$38.03
$0.78 MAD 7.59
158.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.74
$1.03 MAD 10.01
84.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.49
$0.49 MAD 4.80
132.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.27
$0.63 MAD 6.10
96.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$80.2
$3.93 MAD 38.35
8.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$184
$11.75 MAD 115
-16.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.78
$2.26 MAD 22.04
-29.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.6
$2.56 MAD 24.99
7.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Oujda
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.67
$0.38 MAD 3.66
34.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$514
$20.74 MAD 202
32.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$89.4
$0.74 MAD 7.19
543.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$61.0
$0.64 MAD 6.24
407.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$101
$4.56 MAD 44.52
18.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.70
$1.44 MAD 14.01
6.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$398.4K
$35.0K MAD 341.7K
-39.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$436.9K
$30.1K MAD 293.6K
-22.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Oujda
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,568
$53.8 MAD 525
55.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$435
$9.98 MAD 97.4
132.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$519
$47.68 MAD 465
-42.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Oujda
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,060
$18.32 MAD 179
208.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$529
$15.52 MAD 151
81.64%
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.9
$5.21 MAD 50.8
-4.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Oujda
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,889
$98.8 MAD 964
109.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$98.2K
$5,585 MAD 54.5K
-6.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Oujda
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$816
$17.60 MAD 172
146.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$799
$43.73 MAD 427
-2.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,367
$53.5 MAD 522
36.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,660
$50.7 MAD 495
74.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Oujda
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.7K
$197 MAD 1,922
404.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,181
$124 MAD 1,205
209.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.4K
$375 MAD 3,658
346.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.3K
$260 MAD 2,531
316.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$73.4K
$753 MAD 7,343
419.20%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$115.3K
$482 MAD 4,699
1173.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Oujda
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.6K
$372 MAD 3,627
123.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
4.55
151.65%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Oujda: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Oujda
$124 67.7% $259
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Oujda
$184 28.6% $74
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Oujda
$87 56.4% $113
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Oujda
$111 17% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Oujda
$75 33% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Oujda
$29 56.7% $38
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Oujda
$26 48.1% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $197 in Oujda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $18 in Oujda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $184 per month, with Oujda cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇲🇦 Oujda
🕒 Local time
11:49 11:49 AM
16:49 4:49 PM
5 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
494,252
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.95 MAD (100 MAD = 9.13 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Oujda 8,300 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Oujda

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Which city is more expensive, Playa del Carmen or Oujda?
Oujda wins on cost – living expenses run 47% 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.
Are salaries higher in Playa del Carmen or in Oujda?
Average pay in Playa del Carmen is about 2.2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Playa del Carmen compared to Oujda?
Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $197 in Oujda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Playa del Carmen or in Oujda?
Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Playa del Carmen and in Oujda?
Dining out is cheaper in Oujda – a meal for two runs $18 versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $800/month in Playa del Carmen or in Oujda?
At $636 in Oujda versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, a $800 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.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Playa del Carmen or Oujda?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Oujda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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