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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $449 in Qalyub, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $720 in Qalyub, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $991 in Qalyub, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 189% more than Qalyub, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Qalyub are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Qalyub 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.61 E£188

224.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$16.06 E£833

159.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.69 E£243

126.87%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$1.50 E£78.1

134.67%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.31 E£16.31

387.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.12 E£6.36

708.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.27 E£65.8

132.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$2.70 E£140

64.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$0.84 E£43.64

64.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.59 E£30.67

220.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.67 E£34.60

144.78%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.44 E£74.5

74.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$3.38 E£175

146.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$4.26 E£221

95.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$8.42 E£437

27.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.46 E£75.9

78.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$0.57 E£29.61

156.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$0.43 E£22.12

341.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$0.36 E£18.93

477.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$0.41 E£21.13

334.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$0.40 E£20.74

447.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.24 E£12.53

333.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.19 E£9.82

468.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$1.95 E£101

109.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$5.62 E£292

83.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.22 E£63.4

40.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.76 E£91.6

46.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.18 E£9.39

183.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$0.39 E£19.99

735.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.29 E£15.01

758.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$0.96 E£49.62

238.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$0.30 E£15.79

336.67%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$35.0K E£1.8M

-13.54%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$30.2K E£1.6M

-22.32%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$11.14 E£578

643.90%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$5.59 E£290

297.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$9.91 E£515

196.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$22.38 E£1,161

130.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$3.01 E£156

68.44%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$88.0 E£4,564

128.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$1,830 E£95.0K

184.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$27.74 E£1,439

33.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$44.04 E£2,286

-9.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$107 E£5,566

-26.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$50.1 E£2,602

73.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$193 E£10.0K

403.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$99.6 E£5,168

369.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$309 E£16.0K

430.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$178 E£9,264

583.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$776 E£40.3K

408.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$408 E£21.2K

1493.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Qalyub: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 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 $120 – 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 189%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $673 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $449 in Qalyub. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $88.0 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 $449, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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.