Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tangier and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Tangier: $1,006 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Tangier
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Tangier Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Tangier

🇲🇦 Morocco

$1,006

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,006 per month in Tangier vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tangier $1,006
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $1,521 per month in Tangier vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tangier $1,521
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $2,036 per month in Tangier vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tangier $2,036
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Tangier is about 17% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tangier and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Tangier 25% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.07 MAD 49.40

$10.76 MX$199

-52.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.60 MAD 347

$43.03 MX$795

-17.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 MAD 69.9

$11.79 MX$218

-39.27%

Cappuccino

$2.20 MAD 21.46

$3.87 MX$71.4

-43.15%

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

$0.85 MAD 8.27

$1.37 MX$25.29

-37.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MAD 3.83

$0.84 MX$15.44

-53.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.29 MAD 61.3

$3.10 MX$57.3

102.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 MAD 49.57

$5.07 MX$93.6

0.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 MAD 9.79

$1.44 MX$26.55

-30.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 MAD 10.83

$2.23 MX$41.23

-50.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MAD 16.42

$1.47 MX$27.17

14.29%

Eggs

$1.92 MAD 18.68

$2.53 MX$46.71

-24.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.96 MAD 97.1

$7.30 MX$135

36.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 MAD 66.6

$7.86 MX$145

-13.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.31 MAD 130

$12.79 MX$236

4.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 MAD 15.35

$2.90 MX$53.6

-45.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 MAD 14.41

$1.44 MX$26.53

2.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 MAD 7.28

$2.55 MX$47.07

-70.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 MAD 7.26

$2.06 MX$38.03

-64.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 MAD 6.49

$2.00 MX$36.97

-66.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 MAD 6.80

$2.01 MX$37.07

-65.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 MAD 4.47

$1.19 MX$22.02

-61.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 MAD 5.81

$1.26 MX$23.23

-52.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.11 MAD 40.07

$4.40 MX$81.4

-6.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.25 MAD 90.2

$9.59 MX$177

-3.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.76 MAD 36.66

$1.59 MX$29.41

136.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 MAD 38.20

$2.81 MX$51.9

39.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 MAD 4.11

$0.57 MX$10.47

-26.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.60 MAD 152

$27.82 MX$514

-43.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 MAD 7.15

$4.98 MX$92.1

-85.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 MAD 9.46

$3.50 MX$64.6

-72.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.02 MAD 88.0

$5.40 MX$99.8

67.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MAD 14.83

$1.47 MX$27.08

3.40%

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

$34.0K MAD 331.8K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

62.18%

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

$29.4K MAD 286.3K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

22.82%

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

$76.4 MAD 745

$84.2 MX$1,556

-9.29%

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

$13.29 MAD 130

$23.99 MX$443

-44.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.29 MAD 383

$29.02 MX$536

35.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.40 MAD 287

$63.0 MX$1,164

-53.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.86 MAD 350

$29.14 MX$539

23.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 MAD 72.1

$4.94 MX$91.3

49.80%

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

$91.3 MAD 891

$204 MX$3,763

-55.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,084 MAD 59.3K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

54.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.79 MAD 349

$43.60 MX$806

-17.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.58 MAD 483

$43.12 MX$797

14.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 MAD 970

$75.8 MX$1,400

31.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 MAD 1,010

$88.6 MX$1,637

16.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 MAD 4,731

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-51.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 MAD 3,164

$374 MX$6,911

-13.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 MAD 8,525

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-48.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 MAD 4,908

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-54.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,756 MAD 17.1K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-55.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,188 MAD 11.6K

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-80.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 MAD 4,773

$754 MX$13.9K

-35.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.67

11.45

-67.95%

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

Last update for Tangier: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tangier

$324 32.3%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 15.3% $50

Groceries & Markets

Tangier

$220 21.9%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 17.2% $38

Eating Out

Tangier

$135 13.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 49.8% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Tangier

$130 12.9%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 13% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tangier

$129 12.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 6.4% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Tangier

$44 4.4%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 64.9% $29

Getting Around

Tangier

$23 2.3%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 130% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in Tangier versus $1,008 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 54% 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 $36.00 in Tangier versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $220 vs $258 – making Tangier the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Tangier

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

14:57 2:57 PM

08:57 8:57 AM

6 h behind Tangier

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

947,952

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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to MAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tangier Playa del Carmen 7,920 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Tangier
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,509 per month in Tangier and $1,816 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 Tangier, 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 $1,006 in Tangier and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 20%.

Public transport costs about 78% less in Tangier. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tangier, where all-in costs run around $1,006, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Tangier it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tangier – 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 Tangier. 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.