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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $814 in Gostivar versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,194 in Gostivar versus $2,189 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,574 in Gostivar versus $3,084 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Gostivar costs roughly 37% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gostivar 39% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.31 MKD 281

$11.73 MX$202

-54.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.67 MKD 1,253

$41.78 MX$719

-43.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 MKD 267

$10.41 MX$179

-51.49%

Cappuccino

$1.44 MKD 76.0

$3.61 MX$62.1

-60.11%

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

$1.15 MKD 60.7

$1.46 MX$25.06

-21.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MKD 59.0

$0.97 MX$16.70

14.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 MKD 70.9

$2.92 MX$50.3

-54.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 MKD 102

$4.62 MX$79.5

-58.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 MKD 71.0

$1.43 MX$24.59

-6.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 MKD 38.10

$1.90 MX$32.70

-62.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MKD 78.4

$1.57 MX$26.95

-5.73%

Eggs

$2.10 MKD 111

$2.64 MX$45.34

-20.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.66 MKD 353

$8.44 MX$145

-21.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.67 MKD 300

$8.58 MX$148

-33.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.67 MKD 724

$11.00 MX$189

24.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 MKD 56.7

$2.70 MX$46.51

-60.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MKD 76.8

$1.51 MX$25.92

-3.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 MKD 69.2

$1.91 MX$32.93

-31.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 MKD 85.6

$2.17 MX$37.37

-25.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 MKD 52.7

$1.87 MX$32.25

-46.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 MKD 40.63

$2.23 MX$38.43

-65.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 MKD 28.71

$1.08 MX$18.60

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MKD 29.72

$1.07 MX$18.47

-47.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 MKD 150

$4.16 MX$71.6

-31.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.79 MKD 254

$10.29 MX$177

-53.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MKD 47.59

$1.68 MX$28.95

-46.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 MKD 77.2

$2.53 MX$43.59

-42.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MKD 33.76

$0.55 MX$9.53

16.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.45 MKD 1,083

$26.29 MX$452

-22.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 MKD 51.4

$3.20 MX$55.0

-69.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MKD 18.77

$2.46 MX$42.37

-85.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 MKD 339

$3.20 MX$55.0

100.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MKD 78.0

$1.32 MX$22.72

11.36%

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

$32.5K MKD 1.7M

$30.2K MX$518.8K

7.83%

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

$47.8K MKD 2.5M

$23.4K MX$402.5K

104.52%

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

$134 MKD 7,086

$81.4 MX$1,400

64.47%

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

$11.16 MKD 591

$22.41 MX$386

-50.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.21 MKD 806

$29.97 MX$516

-49.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 MKD 1,371

$51.6 MX$887

-49.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 MKD 252

$5.16 MX$88.9

-7.75%

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

$221 MKD 11.7K

$202 MX$3,471

9.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,219 MKD 64.6K

$5,311 MX$91.4K

-77.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.45 MKD 1,983

$35.61 MX$613

5.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 MKD 1,990

$40.37 MX$695

-6.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.1 MKD 3,927

$78.6 MX$1,353

-5.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 5,951

$86.9 MX$1,495

29.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 MKD 14.8K

$950 MX$16.3K

-70.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 MKD 10.4K

$478 MX$8,227

-58.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$558 MKD 29.5K

$1,621 MX$27.9K

-65.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 MKD 16.7K

$1,223 MX$21.0K

-74.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,658 MKD 87.8K

$4,009 MX$69.0K

-58.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,281 MKD 67.8K

$6,473 MX$111.4K

-80.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$880 MKD 46.6K

$673 MX$11.6K

30.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

11.42

-43.08%

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

Last update for Gostivar: June 16, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $280 in Gostivar and $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gostivar pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Gostivar vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $254 per month, with Gostivar cheaper across the board.

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 59% 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.

Gostivar pays 31% more on average, 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: $280 in Gostivar versus $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $814 per month in Gostivar versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gostivar runs roughly 29% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $814 in Gostivar versus $1,294 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 $814 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 59% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.