Cost of Living Comparison Between Agios Nikolaos and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Agios Nikolaos and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Agios Nikolaos vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,153 per month in Agios Nikolaos vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,918 per month in Agios Nikolaos vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Agios Nikolaos costs about 10% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Agios Nikolaos sits 1% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.41 €9.94

$11.60 MX$200

-1.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.88 €40.87

$47.11 MX$812

-0.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 €6.93

$11.88 MX$205

-33.08%

Cappuccino

$4.06 €3.54

$3.98 MX$68.6

2.01%

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

$2.07 €1.81

$1.43 MX$24.60

44.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.64

$0.82 MX$14.22

-9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.94

$3.19 MX$55.0

41.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 €4.29

$6.79 MX$117

-27.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.63

$1.68 MX$28.89

11.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 €1.28

$2.20 MX$37.88

-33.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 €3.01

$1.71 MX$29.45

101.75%

Eggs

$4.64 €4.05

$2.74 MX$47.26

69.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.60 €15.34

$9.58 MX$165

83.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 €8.46

$9.01 MX$155

7.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 €13.34

$12.81 MX$221

19.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €1.97

$2.89 MX$49.81

-21.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.03

$1.50 MX$25.81

55.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 €1.15

$2.15 MX$37.03

-38.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.62

$2.26 MX$38.96

-17.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.19

$1.98 MX$34.15

-31.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 €0.91

$1.99 MX$34.30

-47.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 €1.04

$1.23 MX$21.28

-2.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.79

$1.20 MX$20.63

-24.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.76 €5.02

$4.55 MX$78.5

26.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.50 €8.29

$10.37 MX$179

-8.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 €2.23

$1.62 MX$27.91

58.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 €2.30

$2.88 MX$49.67

-8.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 €1.07

$0.60 MX$10.35

105.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.5 €46.60

$28.80 MX$497

85.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 €3.58

$5.39 MX$92.9

-23.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 €2.10

$3.73 MX$64.3

-35.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.14 €14.94

$5.77 MX$99.5

197.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.92

$1.54 MX$26.48

43.51%

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

$34.0K €29.7K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

50.97%

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

$25.5K €22.2K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

-2.10%

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

$152 €133

$91.4 MX$1,576

66.74%

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

$22.13 €19.29

$25.20 MX$435

-12.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.55 €29.25

$31.24 MX$539

7.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 €44.09

$67.2 MX$1,159

-24.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.39 €23.00

$29.11 MX$502

-9.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.21 €8.02

$4.86 MX$83.8

89.51%

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

$453 €395

$224 MX$3,856

102.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,945 €6,054

$4,229 MX$72.9K

64.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.0 €67.1

$47.10 MX$812

63.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.89 €27.80

$44.29 MX$764

-28.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €93.5

$80.1 MX$1,381

33.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €114

$92.7 MX$1,598

41.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 €401

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-56.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 €330

$390 MX$6,728

-3.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$799 €696

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-62.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$685 €597

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-46.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,721 €2,372

$4,001 MX$69.0K

-32.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,318 €2,021

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-64.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,044 €910

$758 MX$13.1K

37.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

11.45

-60.44%

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

Last update for Agios Nikolaos: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $460 in Agios Nikolaos versus $1,063 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 38% higher in Agios Nikolaos, 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 $47.00 in Agios Nikolaos versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $312 in Agios Nikolaos vs $276 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,387 in Agios Nikolaos, $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 10% apart. Agios Nikolaos costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,081 per month in Agios Nikolaos and $1,899 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 Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Agios Nikolaos and $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,387 in Agios Nikolaos and $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Agios Nikolaos at $1,387. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Agios Nikolaos it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,266 in Playa del Carmen to $1,387 in Agios Nikolaos. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Agios Nikolaos makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.