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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $699 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,102 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,504 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 82% 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 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$8.02 E£410

48.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$21.68 E£1,107

97.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.38 E£275

97.96%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.82 E£92.8

89.56%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.32 E£16.13

368.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.44 E£22.67

115.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.03 E£154

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.83 E£247

-4.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.92 E£47.17

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.62 E£31.56

198.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.65 E£33.10

147.69%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.32 E£67.3

96.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$3.31 E£169

149.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.92 E£200

113.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.37 E£428

27.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.62 E£82.8

62.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.47 E£23.99

217.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.51 E£26.14

276.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.31 E£16.08

574.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.38 E£19.18

389.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.40 E£20.55

465.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.22 E£11.17

381.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.19 E£9.71

473.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.69 E£86.3

145.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.31 E£66.9

31.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.81 E£92.3

44.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.10 E£4.91

440.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.42 E£21.25

645.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.31 E£15.99

709.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$1.93 E£98.8

63.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.32 E£16.58

296.88%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$35.7K E£1.8M

-15.03%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$32.5K E£1.7M

-27.60%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$11.78 E£602

604.58%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$11.17 E£571

103.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$28.56 E£1,459

3.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$15.15 E£774

236.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$6.12 E£313

199.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.48 E£178

41.67%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$115 E£5,855

72.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$1,865 E£95.3K

183.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$27.99 E£1,429

31.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$49.24 E£2,515

-18.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$109 E£5,581

-26.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$50.7 E£2,587

76.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$370 E£18.9K

158.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$275 E£14.0K

73.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$636 E£32.5K

158.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$556 E£28.4K

120.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$974 E£49.8K

302.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$696 E£35.5K

828.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$152 E£7,777

338.00%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $370 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 338% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $22.00 in Sharm El Sheikh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $108 – 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 82%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,049 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $699 in Sharm El Sheikh. 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 $115 in Sharm El Sheikh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sharm El Sheikh, where all-in costs run around $699, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.