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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $447 in Qalyub, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $729 in Qalyub, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,011 in Qalyub, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 181% more than Qalyub, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Qalyub are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Qalyub 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$3.57 E£182

235.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$15.77 E£805

164.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.57 E£233

135.23%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.45 E£74.2

141.38%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.31 E£15.87

367.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.12 E£6.24

633.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.27 E£64.6

132.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.71 E£138

66.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.86 E£44.04

66.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.59 E£30.08

211.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.70 E£35.67

124.29%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.45 E£74.1

73.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$3.45 E£176

140.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.23 E£216

99.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$8.72 E£445

22.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.47 E£75.2

77.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.54 E£27.74

166.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.39 E£20.08

402.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.39 E£20.08

435.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.38 E£19.25

386.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.41 E£20.73

429.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.22 E£11.16

368.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.20 E£10.17

435.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.94 E£99.3

111.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$6.01 E£307

69.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.26 E£64.4

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.71 E£87.4

47.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.16 E£8.19

218.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.42 E£21.26

669.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.31 E£15.92

677.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.02 E£52.3

216.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.33 E£17.04

300.00%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$36.0K E£1.8M

-17.57%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$29.9K E£1.5M

-20.99%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$11.43 E£584

617.50%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$5.70 E£291

302.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$10.10 E£516

198.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$22.10 E£1,128

135.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$2.88 E£147

72.92%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$88.5 E£4,515

123.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$1,865 E£95.2K

186.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$27.53 E£1,405

29.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$43.53 E£2,222

-7.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$107 E£5,449

-26.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$51.5 E£2,627

72.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$193 E£9,846

391.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$101 E£5,153

369.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$303 E£15.5K

442.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$181 E£9,239

568.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$807 E£41.2K

402.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$443 E£22.6K

1360.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

16.67

-31.49%

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 Qalyub: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $193 in Qalyub. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in Qalyub. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $122 – making Qalyub the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Qalyub: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 181%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $670 in Qalyub. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Qalyub, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $447 in Qalyub. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $88.5 in Qalyub. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Qalyub, where all-in costs run around $447, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Qalyub it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Qalyub – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Qalyub. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.