Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Akureyri and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $3,060 in Akureyri, rent and utilities included – about $22,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Akureyri

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,060

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,060 per month in Akureyri vs $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Akureyri $3,060
Playa del Carmen $1,215

A couple spends around $4,123 per month in Akureyri vs $2,144 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Akureyri $4,123
Playa del Carmen $2,144

A family of three spends $5,186 per month in Akureyri vs $3,072 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Akureyri $5,186
Playa del Carmen $3,072

Akureyri costs about 152% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Akureyri sits 128% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.64 ISK 3,004

$10.97 MX$201

124.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$133 ISK 16.2K

$44.85 MX$823

196.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$22.95 ISK 2,799

$11.92 MX$219

92.53%

Cappuccino

$4.93 ISK 602

$3.80 MX$69.9

29.74%

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

$3.44 ISK 420

$1.31 MX$24.08

162.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ISK 381

$0.86 MX$15.72

262.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.08 ISK 1,352

$3.21 MX$59.0

245.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.43 ISK 1,150

$5.01 MX$92.0

88.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.77 ISK 338

$1.46 MX$26.77

89.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 ISK 280

$2.33 MX$42.72

-1.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 ISK 388

$1.44 MX$26.48

120.83%

Eggs

$7.93 ISK 967

$2.46 MX$45.20

222.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.52 ISK 1,892

$7.70 MX$141

101.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.79 ISK 3,024

$7.89 MX$145

214.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

Banana (1kg)

$2.91 ISK 355

$1.42 MX$26.11

104.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 ISK 426

$2.57 MX$47.10

35.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.89 ISK 719

$2.14 MX$39.24

175.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.61 ISK 1,660

$4.38 MX$80.3

210.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.52 ISK 307

$1.54 MX$28.27

63.64%

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

$41.1K ISK 5.0M

$21.2K MX$389.9K

93.63%

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

$66.4K ISK 8.1M

$24.5K MX$449.6K

171.30%

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

$124 ISK 15.1K

$83.6 MX$1,535

48.04%

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

$26.03 ISK 3,174

$24.03 MX$441

8.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$162 ISK 19.7K

$29.33 MX$539

451.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.8 ISK 10.6K

$64.9 MX$1,191

33.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 ISK 1,852

$5.09 MX$93.4

198.23%

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

$364 ISK 44.3K

$208 MX$3,813

75.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.6 ISK 10.1K

$44.55 MX$818

85.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 ISK 15.0K

$75.5 MX$1,387

63.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 ISK 219.5K

$986 MX$18.1K

82.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,787 ISK 217.9K

$385 MX$7,072

363.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 ISK 262.6K

$1,108 MX$20.4K

94.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,605 ISK 805.5K

$4,016 MX$73.7K

64.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,467 ISK 788.7K

$6,247 MX$114.7K

3.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.4

11.45

-17.90%

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

Last update for Akureyri: October 4, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Akureyri

–

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Groceries & Markets

Akureyri

–

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Eating Out

Akureyri

–

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Akureyri

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Akureyri

–

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Akureyri

–

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Getting Around

Akureyri

–

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,800 in Akureyri versus $986 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $133 in Akureyri versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $260 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Akureyri

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

14:22 2:22 PM

09:22 9:22 AM

5 h behind Akureyri

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,219

149,923

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Akureyri Playa del Carmen 6,970 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Akureyri
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

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

Yes – Akureyri is pricier by about 152%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,590 per month in Akureyri and $1,823 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 $133 in Akureyri and $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Akureyri, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,215, than in Akureyri at $3,060. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Akureyri it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – 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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Akureyri makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.