Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sidi Bel Abbes

For one person, living is cheaper in Sidi Bel Abbes: $534 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Sidi Bel Abbes
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Sidi Bel Abbes Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Sidi Bel Abbes

🇩🇿 Algeria

$534

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Sidi Bel Abbes

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Sidi Bel Abbes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $534 in Sidi Bel Abbes, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Sidi Bel Abbes $534

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $883 in Sidi Bel Abbes, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Sidi Bel Abbes $883

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,231 in Sidi Bel Abbes, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Sidi Bel Abbes $1,231

Playa del Carmen costs about 125% more than Sidi Bel Abbes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sidi Bel Abbes are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Sidi Bel Abbes 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$2.35 DZD 318

354.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$20.66 DZD 2,796

112.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$3.84 DZD 520

207.03%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$0.36 DZD 49.00

952.78%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$0.60 DZD 81.0

116.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$0.28 DZD 38.10

196.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$1.66 DZD 225

89.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$2.95 DZD 399

67.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$0.96 DZD 130

46.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$0.08 DZD 10.46

2650.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$1.01 DZD 137

45.54%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$1.50 DZD 203

66.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$9.51 DZD 1,287

-23.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$5.95 DZD 805

33.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$15.51 DZD 2,100

-17.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$2.74 DZD 371

5.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$2.28 DZD 308

-39.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$1.34 DZD 182

85.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$0.47 DZD 63.8

331.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$0.35 DZD 47.91

477.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$0.63 DZD 85.7

201.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$0.61 DZD 82.6

86.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$0.33 DZD 44.55

275.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$1.84 DZD 249

132.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$10.00 DZD 1,354

-1.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$2.14 DZD 290

-25.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$0.88 DZD 119

212.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$0.17 DZD 22.62

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

$6.68 DZD 904

310.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$0.67 DZD 90.8

610.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$0.33 DZD 44.97

884.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$2.25 DZD 305

139.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$0.30 DZD 40.05

410.00%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$16.5K DZD 2.2M

28.95%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$29.9K DZD 4.0M

-22.14%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$18.52 DZD 2,507

350.81%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$8.83 DZD 1,196

162.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$16.09 DZD 2,177

71.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$17.35 DZD 2,349

225.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$1.51 DZD 204

231.13%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$55.2 DZD 7,471

275.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$3,239 DZD 438.4K

61.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$32.52 DZD 4,402

33.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$54.9 DZD 7,430

-22.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$81.9 DZD 11.1K

-11.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$82.0 DZD 11.1K

7.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$146 DZD 19.8K

579.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$93.9 DZD 12.7K

307.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$269 DZD 36.5K

521.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$194 DZD 26.3K

456.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$991 DZD 134.1K

294.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

$1,026 DZD 138.9K

498.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$345 DZD 46.7K

141.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.5

76.15%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sidi Bel Abbes: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Sidi Bel Abbes

$94 17.6% 75.4% $289

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Sidi Bel Abbes

$202 37.7% 21.7% $56

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Sidi Bel Abbes

$52 9.8% 73.8% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Sidi Bel Abbes

$43 8.1% 67.6% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Sidi Bel Abbes

$113 21.2% 1.7% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Sidi Bel Abbes

$20 3.8% 69.3% $46

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Sidi Bel Abbes

$9.7 1.8% 80.8% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $146 in Sidi Bel Abbes. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $21 in Sidi Bel Abbes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $202 – making Sidi Bel Abbes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇩🇿 Sidi Bel Abbes

🕒 Local time

19:48 7:48 PM

01:48 1:48 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

212,935

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.39 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.61 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.39 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.61 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Sidi Bel Abbes 8,390 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Sidi Bel Abbes

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Sidi Bel Abbes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 125%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $802 in Sidi Bel Abbes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sidi Bel Abbes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $146 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $534 in Sidi Bel Abbes. That makes Sidi Bel Abbes about 56% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 76% less in Sidi Bel Abbes. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Sidi Bel Abbes, where all-in costs run around $534, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Sidi Bel Abbes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sidi Bel Abbes – 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 Sidi Bel Abbes. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.