Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Settat and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Settat: $646 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Settat
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Settat Living Index
59

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

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Settat

🇲🇦 Morocco

$646

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Settat and in Playa del Carmen

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

A single person spends $646 per month in Settat vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Settat $646
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,030 per month in Settat vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Settat $1,030
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $1,415 per month in Settat vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Settat $1,415
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Settat is about 46% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Settat and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Settat 52% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.11 MAD 30.28

$10.86 MX$201

-71.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.32 MAD 296

$44.21 MX$817

-31.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.00 MAD 58.5

$11.76 MX$217

-48.98%

Cappuccino

$1.15 MAD 11.18

$3.68 MX$68.0

-68.75%

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

$0.44 MAD 4.31

$1.34 MX$24.79

-67.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MAD 3.57

$0.82 MX$15.24

-54.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 MAD 11.70

$3.06 MX$56.6

-60.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 MAD 14.88

$4.94 MX$91.2

-69.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 MAD 8.57

$1.47 MX$27.17

-40.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 MAD 8.21

$2.22 MX$40.95

-62.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 MAD 14.96

$1.48 MX$27.32

3.38%

Eggs

$1.90 MAD 18.55

$2.49 MX$45.99

-23.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.85 MAD 76.6

$7.52 MX$139

4.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 MAD 50.1

$7.96 MX$147

-35.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 MAD 110

$12.57 MX$232

-10.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 MAD 15.31

$2.78 MX$51.3

-43.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 MAD 13.15

$1.43 MX$26.37

-5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 MAD 8.99

$2.62 MX$48.37

-64.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.73 MAD 7.11

$2.14 MX$39.49

-65.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 7.02

$2.02 MX$37.38

-64.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 MAD 7.98

$1.99 MX$36.74

-58.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.23 MAD 2.23

$1.14 MX$21.01

-79.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MAD 5.15

$1.20 MX$22.18

-55.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 MAD 39.32

$4.26 MX$78.7

-5.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.47 MAD 72.8

$10.02 MX$185

-25.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 MAD 22.27

$1.54 MX$28.41

48.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 MAD 32.05

$2.66 MX$49.17

23.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MAD 4.95

$0.53 MX$9.73

-3.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.43 MAD 199

$27.51 MX$508

-25.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 MAD 7.78

$4.90 MX$90.6

-83.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 MAD 5.79

$3.43 MX$63.5

-82.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.00 MAD 68.3

$5.38 MX$99.4

30.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MAD 14.76

$1.45 MX$26.76

4.14%

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

$30.1K MAD 293.5K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

42.27%

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

$31.5K MAD 307.1K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

36.83%

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

$20.66 MAD 201

$85.4 MX$1,577

-75.80%

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

$5.07 MAD 49.44

$23.46 MX$434

-78.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.21 MAD 353

$28.43 MX$525

27.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.64 MAD 182

$62.2 MX$1,149

-70.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.14 MAD 206

$28.68 MX$530

-26.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 MAD 64.1

$5.10 MX$94.3

28.82%

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

$97.3 MAD 949

$201 MX$3,715

-51.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,252 MAD 80.5K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

109.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.76 MAD 310

$44.39 MX$820

-28.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.34 MAD 432

$41.35 MX$764

7.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 MAD 786

$72.7 MX$1,344

10.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 MAD 788

$89.6 MX$1,656

-9.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$273 MAD 2,664

$979 MX$18.1K

-72.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 MAD 1,645

$373 MX$6,887

-54.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$453 MAD 4,416

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-73.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 MAD 2,663

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-75.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,126 MAD 11.0K

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-71.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$883 MAD 8,607

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-85.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$206 MAD 2,012

$738 MX$13.6K

-72.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

11.45

-60.70%

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

Last update for Settat: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Settat

$181 28.1%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 42.6% $77

Accommodation & Living

Settat

$169 26.1%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 121% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Settat

$107 16.6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 4.5% $4.8

Eating Out

Settat

$69 10.7%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 191% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Settat

$62 9.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 122% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Settat

$32 4.9%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 128% $41

Getting Around

Settat

$26 4.1%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 97.1% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $273 in Settat versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. 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 257% 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 $30.00 in Settat versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $258 – making Settat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Settat

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

01:18 1:18 AM

19:18 7:18 PM

6 h behind Settat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,250

149,923

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham (د.م.)

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to MAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Settat Playa del Carmen 7,830 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Settat
Playa del Carmen

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

Settat vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 87%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $968 per month in Settat and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Settat, 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 $646 in Settat and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 87%.

Public transport costs about 35% less in Settat. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Settat, where all-in costs run around $646, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Settat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Settat – 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 Settat. 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.