Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

25

Cost of Living Index in Sidi Bel Abbes
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Sidi Bel Abbes Living Index
57

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

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Sidi Bel Abbes

🇩🇿 Algeria

$534

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sidi Bel Abbes 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 Sidi Bel Abbes and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sidi Bel Abbes is about 56% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.35 DZD 318

$10.67 MX$198

-77.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.66 DZD 2,792

$43.80 MX$813

-52.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.84 DZD 519

$11.79 MX$219

-67.43%

Cappuccino

$0.36 DZD 48.93

$3.79 MX$70.3

-90.50%

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

$0.60 DZD 80.9

$1.30 MX$24.09

-53.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 DZD 38.04

$0.83 MX$15.48

-66.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 DZD 224

$3.15 MX$58.4

-47.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 DZD 399

$4.93 MX$91.6

-40.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 DZD 130

$1.41 MX$26.16

-31.91%

White Bread (500g)

$0.08 DZD 10.45

$2.20 MX$40.77

-96.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 DZD 137

$1.47 MX$27.35

-31.29%

Eggs

$1.50 DZD 203

$2.50 MX$46.37

-40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 DZD 1,286

$7.29 MX$135

30.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.95 DZD 804

$7.95 MX$148

-25.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.51 DZD 2,097

$12.86 MX$239

20.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 DZD 370

$2.90 MX$53.8

-5.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 DZD 308

$1.38 MX$25.69

65.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 DZD 182

$2.49 MX$46.26

-46.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.47 DZD 63.7

$2.03 MX$37.70

-76.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 DZD 47.84

$2.02 MX$37.61

-82.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 DZD 85.6

$1.90 MX$35.35

-66.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 DZD 82.5

$1.14 MX$21.25

-46.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 DZD 44.48

$1.24 MX$23.01

-73.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 DZD 249

$4.27 MX$79.3

-56.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 DZD 1,352

$9.81 MX$182

1.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 DZD 289

$1.59 MX$29.45

34.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 DZD 119

$2.75 MX$51.0

-68.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 DZD 22.59

$0.51 MX$9.56

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.68 DZD 903

$27.39 MX$509

-75.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 DZD 90.7

$4.76 MX$88.4

-85.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 DZD 44.91

$3.25 MX$60.3

-89.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 DZD 305

$5.39 MX$100

-58.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.30 DZD 39.99

$1.53 MX$28.38

-80.39%

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

$16.5K DZD 2.2M

$21.2K MX$393.9K

-22.45%

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

$29.9K DZD 4.0M

$23.3K MX$432.0K

28.44%

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

$18.52 DZD 2,504

$83.5 MX$1,550

-77.82%

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

$8.83 DZD 1,194

$23.19 MX$431

-61.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 DZD 2,174

$27.61 MX$513

-41.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.35 DZD 2,345

$56.4 MX$1,048

-69.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$524

Cinema Ticket

$1.51 DZD 204

$5.00 MX$92.9

-69.80%

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

$55.2 DZD 7,461

$207 MX$3,846

-73.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,239 DZD 437.8K

$5,231 MX$97.1K

-38.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.52 DZD 4,396

$43.45 MX$807

-25.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 DZD 7,420

$42.54 MX$790

29.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 DZD 11.1K

$72.8 MX$1,351

12.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.0 DZD 11.1K

$88.4 MX$1,641

-7.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$146 DZD 19.8K

$995 MX$18.5K

-85.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$93.9 DZD 12.7K

$382 MX$7,102

-75.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 DZD 36.4K

$1,674 MX$31.1K

-83.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 DZD 26.2K

$1,081 MX$20.1K

-82.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$991 DZD 133.9K

$3,909 MX$72.6K

-74.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,026 DZD 138.7K

$6,138 MX$114.0K

-83.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$345 DZD 46.6K

$832 MX$15.5K

-58.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

11.45

-43.23%

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

Last update for Sidi Bel Abbes: October 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sidi Bel Abbes

$202 37.7%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 27.7% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Sidi Bel Abbes

$113 21.2%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 1.7% $1.9

Accommodation & Living

Sidi Bel Abbes

$94 17.6%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 307% $289

Eating Out

Sidi Bel Abbes

$52 9.8%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 282% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sidi Bel Abbes

$43 8.1%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 209% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Sidi Bel Abbes

$20 3.8%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 226% $46

Getting Around

Sidi Bel Abbes

$9.7 1.8%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 421% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $146 in Sidi Bel Abbes versus $995 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 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 $21 in Sidi Bel Abbes versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $257 – making Sidi Bel Abbes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇿 Sidi Bel Abbes

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

19:35 7:35 PM

13:35 1:35 PM

6 h behind Sidi Bel Abbes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

212,935

149,923

💱 Currency

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 DZD = 7.4 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.61 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to DZD – Algerian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇩🇿 Algerian Dinar (د.ج)

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.4 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.61 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to DZD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Sidi Bel Abbes
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

Sidi Bel Abbes vs Playa del Carmen: 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 $802 per month in Sidi Bel Abbes and $1,804 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 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 $534 in Sidi Bel Abbes and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. 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.