Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,517 per month in Belgrade vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,312 per month in Belgrade vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,108 per month in Belgrade vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Belgrade costs about 17% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Belgrade sits 13% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Belgrade
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.19 RSD 1,228
$11.73 MX$203
3.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.60 RSD 4,999
$41.62 MX$719
19.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.68 RSD 1,177
$10.64 MX$184
9.77%
Cappuccino
$2.86 RSD 288
$3.52 MX$60.8
-18.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 RSD 272
$1.51 MX$26.09
78.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 RSD 219
$0.97 MX$16.82
123.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.55 RSD 358
$2.95 MX$51.0
20.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.02 RSD 405
$4.45 MX$77.0
-9.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Belgrade
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 RSD 153
$1.38 MX$23.90
10.14%
White Bread (500g)
$0.92 RSD 92.7
$1.89 MX$32.69
-51.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.05 RSD 308
$1.64 MX$28.29
85.98%
Eggs
$2.85 RSD 288
$2.51 MX$43.30
13.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.46 RSD 1,155
$8.34 MX$144
37.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.46 RSD 752
$8.34 MX$144
-10.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.96 RSD 1,306
$10.73 MX$185
20.78%
Apples (1kg)
$1.41 RSD 142
$2.60 MX$45.00
-45.77%
Banana (1kg)
$1.89 RSD 191
$1.46 MX$25.18
29.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.96 RSD 198
$1.90 MX$32.84
3.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.78 RSD 280
$2.08 MX$35.88
33.65%
Potato (1kg)
$1.03 RSD 104
$1.78 MX$30.68
-42.13%
Onion (1kg)
$0.75 RSD 76.1
$2.19 MX$37.76
-65.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.89 RSD 89.3
$1.04 MX$17.97
-14.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 RSD 79.1
$1.08 MX$18.60
-27.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.66 RSD 470
$4.08 MX$70.5
14.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.65 RSD 972
$10.32 MX$178
-6.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 RSD 87.5
$1.71 MX$29.59
-49.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 RSD 153
$2.58 MX$44.50
-41.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Belgrade
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.98 RSD 98.5
$0.51 MX$8.81
92.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.46 MX$457
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.09 RSD 312
$3.26 MX$56.4
-5.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.90 RSD 90.3
$2.49 MX$43.05
-63.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.87 RSD 1,801
$3.25 MX$56.1
449.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.83 RSD 185
$1.31 MX$22.59
39.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.9K RSD 3.1M
$30.3K MX$523.2K
2.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K RSD 2.7M
$23.4K MX$404.9K
15.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belgrade
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$210 RSD 21.1K
$82.9 MX$1,432
153.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.09 RSD 2,226
$22.22 MX$384
-0.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.98 RSD 3,324
$29.34 MX$507
12.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Belgrade
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.57 RSD 3,887
$51.6 MX$892
-25.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.97 RSD 2,114
$18.32 MX$317
14.47%
Cinema Ticket
$7.70 RSD 776
$5.07 MX$87.5
51.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Belgrade
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$449 RSD 45.3K
$201 MX$3,470
123.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,106 RSD 917.7K
$5,212 MX$90.1K
74.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Belgrade
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$100 RSD 10.1K
$36.92 MX$638
171.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.41 RSD 4,274
$39.79 MX$688
6.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 RSD 11.4K
$78.5 MX$1,356
43.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 RSD 11.9K
$87.1 MX$1,505
35.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Belgrade
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$852 RSD 85.9K
$973 MX$16.8K
-12.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$571 RSD 57.5K
$468 MX$8,082
22.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,569 RSD 158.1K
$1,641 MX$28.4K
-4.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,024 RSD 103.2K
$1,221 MX$21.1K
-16.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,218 RSD 525.9K
$3,946 MX$68.2K
32.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,155 RSD 318.0K
$6,498 MX$112.3K
-51.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Belgrade
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,234 RSD 124.4K
$664 MX$11.5K
85.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.59
11.42
-51.05%

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

Last update for Belgrade: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $852 in Belgrade versus $973 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 86% higher in Belgrade, 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 $50.0 in Belgrade versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Belgrade vs $249 in Playa del Carmen – so Belgrade 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
Belgrade vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Belgrade and Playa del Carmen compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,517 in Belgrade, $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 17% apart. Belgrade costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.
What salary covers living expenses in Belgrade compared to Playa del Carmen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,275 per month in Belgrade and $1,945 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Belgrade and Playa del Carmen?
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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Belgrade and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Belgrade – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,297, than in Belgrade at $1,517. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Belgrade and Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,297 in Playa del Carmen to $1,517 in Belgrade. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Belgrade or Playa del Carmen safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Belgrade and Playa del Carmen?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Belgrade makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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