Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Akranes and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,713 in Akranes, rent and utilities included – about $30,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

179

Cost of Living Index in Akranes
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Akranes Living Index
58

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

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Akranes

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,713

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,713 in Akranes versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Akranes $3,713
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,859 in Akranes versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Akranes $5,859
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,006 in Akranes versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Akranes $8,006
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Akranes is roughly 208% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Akranes is 173% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.70 ISK 3,848

$10.92 MX$205

190.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 ISK 15.0K

$43.37 MX$815

184.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.72 ISK 3,243

$11.78 MX$221

126.83%

Cappuccino

$6.01 ISK 730

$3.81 MX$71.6

57.74%

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

$3.19 ISK 388

$1.28 MX$24.10

149.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 ISK 304

$0.78 MX$14.71

221.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.69 ISK 1,298

$3.17 MX$59.5

237.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 ISK 984

$4.93 MX$92.7

64.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$1.41 MX$26.43

48.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 ISK 248

$2.22 MX$41.66

-8.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.71 ISK 451

$1.42 MX$26.64

161.27%

Eggs

$6.26 ISK 760

$2.52 MX$47.41

148.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.35 ISK 2,470

$7.26 MX$137

180.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.72 ISK 3,001

$7.70 MX$145

221.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.16 ISK 5,119

$12.69 MX$239

232.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ISK 400

$2.78 MX$52.3

18.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 ISK 330

$1.37 MX$25.71

98.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 392

$2.55 MX$47.94

26.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 ISK 593

$2.12 MX$39.90

130.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.82 ISK 463

$1.94 MX$36.43

96.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 ISK 207

$1.89 MX$35.44

-9.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.65 ISK 443

$1.15 MX$21.55

217.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 ISK 220

$1.18 MX$22.16

53.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 ISK 1,687

$4.30 MX$80.7

223.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.57 ISK 2,862

$9.95 MX$187

136.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 ISK 350

$1.58 MX$29.76

82.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ISK 251

$2.67 MX$50.2

-22.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.61 ISK 439

$0.55 MX$10.40

556.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.3 ISK 8,778

$26.62 MX$500

171.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.55 ISK 795

$4.97 MX$93.4

31.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 ISK 152

$3.33 MX$62.6

-62.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.9 ISK 9,944

$5.36 MX$101

1428.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 ISK 252

$1.44 MX$27.14

44.44%

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

$67.8K ISK 8.2M

$20.7K MX$388.4K

228.21%

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

$54.6K ISK 6.6M

$23.5K MX$441.0K

132.50%

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

$96.4 ISK 11.7K

$84.8 MX$1,594

13.66%

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

$33.29 ISK 4,041

$23.41 MX$440

42.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.0 ISK 10.3K

$28.66 MX$539

196.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$104 ISK 12.6K

$57.1 MX$1,072

82.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$19.29 ISK 2,342

$5.14 MX$96.6

275.29%

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

$1,205 ISK 146.3K

$207 MX$3,882

483.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.1K ISK 3.2M

$3,927 MX$73.8K

563.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$150 ISK 18.2K

$43.35 MX$815

245.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.1 ISK 8,147

$41.44 MX$779

61.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$179 ISK 21.7K

$74.2 MX$1,394

141.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$246 ISK 29.8K

$89.3 MX$1,677

175.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,064 ISK 372.0K

$980 MX$18.4K

212.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,889 ISK 229.3K

$381 MX$7,157

396.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,013 ISK 608.6K

$1,708 MX$32.1K

193.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,654 ISK 443.6K

$1,075 MX$20.2K

239.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,704 ISK 692.5K

$735 MX$13.8K

676.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

11.45

-23.06%

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

Last update for Akranes: October 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Akranes

$1.9K 50.9%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 79.8% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Akranes

$579 15.6%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 56% $325

Eating Out

Akranes

$498 13.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 59.4% $296

Clothing & Footwear

Akranes

$289 7.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 61.3% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Akranes

$215 5.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 36.3% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Akranes

$143 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 52.8% $75

Getting Around

Akranes

$100 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 49.3% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,064 in Akranes and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Akranes pays about 7.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $123 in Akranes vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $579 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Akranes

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

07:06 7:06 AM

02:06 2:06 AM

5 h behind Akranes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,800

149,923

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.38 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.38 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Akranes Playa del Carmen 6,750 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Akranes
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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 68% lower than in Akranes. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Akranes is about 7.8 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,064 in Akranes versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,713 per month in Akranes versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 68% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 63% less than in Akranes. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,713 in Akranes, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Akranes. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Akranes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.