Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sharm El Sheikh Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sharm El Sheikh

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $473 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $731 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $989 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 176% more than Sharm El Sheikh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sharm El Sheikh are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Sharm El Sheikh 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$23.90 E£1,226

98.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$5.03 E£258

133.60%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.30 E£118

79.13%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.36 E£18.52

288.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.62 E£31.65

46.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$4.02 E£206

-20.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$5.05 E£259

40.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$0.90 E£46.21

86.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$0.50 E£25.80

254.00%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.21 E£62.1

133.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$3.88 E£199

137.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.56 E£79.8

89.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$0.51 E£25.94

209.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$0.51 E£26.07

335.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$0.30 E£15.44

686.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$2.19 E£112

110.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.58 E£81.1

6.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.10 E£5.02

500.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$0.45 E£22.93

242.22%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$32.9K E£1.7M

-30.70%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$22.5K E£1.2M

14.88%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

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

$25.19 MX$427

$11.70 E£600

115.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$29.27 E£1,502

8.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

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

$226 MX$3,828

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$368 E£18.9K

195.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$308 E£15.8K

32.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$645 E£33.1K

205.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$547 E£28.1K

134.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$1,002 E£51.4K

303.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$700 E£35.9K

857.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$156 E£8,019

394.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

26.5

-56.79%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $368 in Sharm El Sheikh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 395% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $24.00 in Sharm El Sheikh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $58.0 – making Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 176%, 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 $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $709 in Sharm El Sheikh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 383% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $24.00 in Sharm El Sheikh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sharm El Sheikh, where all-in costs run around $473, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Sharm El Sheikh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sharm El Sheikh. 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.