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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $698 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,122 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,545 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 84% 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 4% lower, Sharm El Sheikh 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$8.02 E£424

48.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$21.54 E£1,138

98.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$5.54 E£293

91.16%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$1.80 E£95.1

101.11%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.31 E£16.58

374.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.45 E£23.56

108.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$3.00 E£158

3.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$5.00 E£264

-10.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$0.93 E£49.24

53.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.62 E£32.52

203.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$0.65 E£34.37

150.77%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$1.31 E£69.0

101.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$3.27 E£173

151.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$4.05 E£214

104.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$8.67 E£458

28.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$1.54 E£81.5

72.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$0.47 E£24.65

219.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$0.51 E£26.92

290.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$0.31 E£16.39

570.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$0.41 E£21.45

336.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$0.40 E£21.24

445.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.24 E£12.73

350.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.19 E£10.18

447.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$1.73 E£91.3

129.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.30 E£68.7

33.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$1.86 E£98.4

34.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.10 E£5.46

420.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$0.41 E£21.74

665.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.31 E£16.62

674.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$1.93 E£102

60.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$0.35 E£18.72

262.86%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$35.3K E£1.9M

-12.43%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$33.0K E£1.7M

-29.27%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$11.84 E£625

592.65%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$11.53 E£609

94.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$28.27 E£1,494

4.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$14.93 E£789

247.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$6.29 E£332

196.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$3.41 E£180

45.75%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$114 E£6,031

73.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$1,827 E£96.5K

188.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$27.10 E£1,432

34.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$48.38 E£2,556

-17.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$107 E£5,661

-25.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$51.5 E£2,721

72.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$364 E£19.2K

164.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$284 E£15.0K

63.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$641 E£33.8K

149.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$555 E£29.3K

117.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$1,004 E£53.0K

292.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$706 E£37.3K

813.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$151 E£7,981

376.90%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $364 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 377% 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: $251 vs $109 – 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 84%, 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,047 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $698 in Sharm El Sheikh. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $114 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 $698, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.