Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gostivar and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Gostivar: $835 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Gostivar
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Gostivar Living Index
59

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

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Gostivar

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$835

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $835 in Gostivar versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Gostivar $835
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,262 in Gostivar versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Gostivar $1,262
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,689 in Gostivar versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Gostivar $1,689
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Gostivar costs roughly 31% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gostivar 38% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.25 MKD 341

$10.76 MX$199

-41.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.92 MKD 1,468

$43.03 MX$795

-37.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.81 MKD 317

$11.79 MX$218

-50.72%

Cappuccino

$1.39 MKD 75.9

$3.87 MX$71.4

-64.08%

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

$1.32 MKD 72.2

$1.37 MX$25.29

-3.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 MKD 58.1

$0.84 MX$15.44

27.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 MKD 71.5

$3.10 MX$57.3

-57.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 MKD 96.3

$5.07 MX$93.6

-65.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MKD 70.2

$1.44 MX$26.55

-10.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 MKD 40.84

$2.23 MX$41.23

-66.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MKD 77.3

$1.47 MX$27.17

-3.40%

Eggs

$2.46 MKD 134

$2.53 MX$46.71

-2.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.49 MKD 354

$7.30 MX$135

-11.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.59 MKD 305

$7.86 MX$145

-28.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 MKD 783

$12.79 MX$236

12.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 78.1

$2.90 MX$53.6

-50.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MKD 75.8

$1.44 MX$26.53

-3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 MKD 73.8

$2.55 MX$47.07

-47.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 MKD 97.1

$2.06 MX$38.03

-13.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 MKD 45.18

$2.00 MX$36.97

-58.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 MKD 38.06

$2.01 MX$37.07

-65.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 MKD 34.74

$1.19 MX$22.02

-46.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MKD 30.92

$1.26 MX$23.23

-54.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 MKD 150

$4.40 MX$81.4

-37.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 MKD 253

$9.59 MX$177

-51.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 MKD 47.86

$1.59 MX$29.41

-44.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 MKD 77.1

$2.81 MX$51.9

-49.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 MKD 40.29

$0.57 MX$10.47

29.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.14 MKD 1,153

$27.82 MX$514

-24.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 MKD 40.97

$4.98 MX$92.1

-84.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 MKD 18.33

$3.50 MX$64.6

-90.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 MKD 423

$5.40 MX$99.8

43.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MKD 78.4

$1.47 MX$27.08

-2.04%

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

$31.9K MKD 1.7M

$21.0K MX$387.8K

51.79%

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

$27.1K MKD 1.5M

$23.9K MX$441.8K

13.33%

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

$129 MKD 7,046

$84.2 MX$1,556

53.38%

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

$10.75 MKD 586

$23.99 MX$443

-55.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 MKD 1,029

$29.02 MX$536

-34.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.76 MKD 1,187

$63.0 MX$1,164

-65.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 MKD 1,022

$29.14 MX$539

-35.72%

Cinema Ticket

$7.10 MKD 387

$4.94 MX$91.3

43.72%

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

$362 MKD 19.7K

$204 MX$3,763

77.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,736 MKD 312.9K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

45.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.91 MKD 2,014

$43.60 MX$806

-15.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.52 MKD 1,992

$43.12 MX$797

-15.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MKD 5,589

$75.8 MX$1,400

35.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MKD 6,252

$88.6 MX$1,637

29.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$275 MKD 15.0K

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-72.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 MKD 10.6K

$374 MX$6,911

-48.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$504 MKD 27.5K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-70.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 MKD 16.3K

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-73.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,525 MKD 83.2K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-61.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,133 MKD 61.8K

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-81.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$863 MKD 47.1K

$754 MX$13.9K

14.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

11.45

-63.06%

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

Last update for Gostivar: 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

Gostivar

$194 23.2%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 93.1% $180

Groceries & Markets

Gostivar

$186 22.3%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 39% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gostivar

$159 19%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 13.6% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Gostivar

$131 15.7%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 13.6% $18

Eating Out

Gostivar

$104 12.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 94.9% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Gostivar

$36 4.3%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 103% $37

Getting Around

Gostivar

$27 3.2%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 98.2% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $275 in Gostivar and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gostivar pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27.00 in Gostivar vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $258 per month, with Gostivar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Gostivar

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

05:05 5:05 AM

22:05 10:05 PM

7 h behind Gostivar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,000

149,923

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MKD – North Macedonian Denar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gostivar Playa del Carmen 9,880 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Gostivar
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

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

Gostivar wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gostivar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Gostivar, 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: $275 in Gostivar versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $835 per month in Gostivar versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gostivar runs roughly 32% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $835 in Gostivar versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gostivar but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Gostivar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gostivar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $835 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gostivar hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Gostivar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.