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: $877 in Gostivar versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,294 in Gostivar versus $2,336 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,712 in Gostivar versus $3,341 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Gostivar costs roughly 34% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gostivar 36% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 MKD 336

$13.02 MX$221

-50.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.89 MKD 1,462

$46.25 MX$784

-39.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.01 MKD 315

$12.59 MX$213

-52.26%

Cappuccino

$1.44 MKD 75.7

$4.00 MX$67.9

-64.00%

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

$1.39 MKD 73.0

$1.42 MX$24.08

-2.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 MKD 57.5

$0.81 MX$13.73

35.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 MKD 71.3

$3.05 MX$51.7

-55.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 MKD 97.6

$6.82 MX$116

-72.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 MKD 69.8

$1.71 MX$29.04

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 MKD 38.03

$2.22 MX$37.62

-67.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MKD 77.1

$1.72 MX$29.13

-14.53%

Eggs

$2.51 MKD 131

$2.71 MX$45.99

-7.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.48 MKD 340

$9.37 MX$159

-30.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.54 MKD 291

$8.86 MX$150

-37.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.23 MKD 746

$12.78 MX$217

11.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 MKD 76.9

$3.13 MX$53.0

-53.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MKD 77.1

$1.55 MX$26.24

-5.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 MKD 71.7

$2.15 MX$36.51

-36.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 MKD 101

$2.35 MX$39.89

-17.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 MKD 45.12

$2.02 MX$34.23

-57.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 MKD 37.91

$1.99 MX$33.67

-63.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 MKD 31.46

$1.24 MX$21.09

-51.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MKD 30.25

$1.19 MX$20.21

-51.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 MKD 151

$4.65 MX$78.8

-38.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.70 MKD 246

$10.47 MX$177

-55.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 MKD 48.16

$1.58 MX$26.82

-41.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 MKD 77.5

$2.92 MX$49.48

-49.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MKD 39.67

$0.56 MX$9.53

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MKD 1,132

$29.76 MX$504

-27.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 MKD 40.30

$5.32 MX$90.2

-85.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 MKD 17.95

$3.72 MX$63.0

-90.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.60 MKD 398

$5.78 MX$97.9

31.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 MKD 78.7

$1.55 MX$26.27

-3.23%

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

$33.6K MKD 1.8M

$22.4K MX$379.1K

50.16%

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

$28.2K MKD 1.5M

$25.6K MX$433.3K

10.13%

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

$134 MKD 7,028

$89.3 MX$1,513

50.15%

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

$11.27 MKD 591

$23.30 MX$395

-51.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.53 MKD 1,024

$31.72 MX$538

-38.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.73 MKD 1,454

$68.8 MX$1,165

-59.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.90 MKD 886

$29.40 MX$498

-42.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.93 MKD 363

$5.06 MX$85.7

36.96%

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

$383 MKD 20.1K

$222 MX$3,765

72.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,550 MKD 291.0K

$4,293 MX$72.7K

29.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.29 MKD 1,955

$46.21 MX$783

-19.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.33 MKD 2,010

$44.43 MX$753

-13.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MKD 5,639

$95.5 MX$1,618

12.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MKD 6,133

$92.5 MX$1,568

26.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$285 MKD 15.0K

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-73.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 MKD 10.8K

$393 MX$6,663

-47.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$451 MKD 23.6K

$1,988 MX$33.7K

-77.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 MKD 16.0K

$1,304 MX$22.1K

-76.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,651 MKD 86.6K

$4,037 MX$68.4K

-59.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,286 MKD 67.4K

$6,627 MX$112.3K

-80.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$889 MKD 46.6K

$747 MX$12.7K

18.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.25

11.6

-63.36%

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

Last update for Gostivar: August 16, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $285 in Gostivar and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gostivar pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $28.00 in Gostivar vs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $277 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 52% 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 19% 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: $285 in Gostivar versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $877 per month in Gostivar versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gostivar runs roughly 38% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $877 in Gostivar versus $1,330 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 $877 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 52% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.