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: $822 in Gostivar versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,201 in Gostivar versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,580 in Gostivar versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Gostivar costs roughly 36% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gostivar 39% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.31 MKD 280

$11.94 MX$209

-55.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.13 MKD 1,219

$42.75 MX$748

-45.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 MKD 271

$10.59 MX$185

-51.56%

Cappuccino

$1.44 MKD 75.9

$3.62 MX$63.4

-60.22%

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

$1.12 MKD 58.9

$1.47 MX$25.69

-23.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MKD 61.1

$0.94 MX$16.51

23.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.39 MKD 73.2

$3.09 MX$54.1

-55.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 MKD 98.4

$4.46 MX$78.0

-58.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 MKD 70.4

$1.43 MX$24.94

-6.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 MKD 36.25

$1.88 MX$32.97

-63.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MKD 77.6

$1.63 MX$28.50

-9.82%

Eggs

$2.03 MKD 107

$2.64 MX$46.26

-23.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.76 MKD 356

$8.21 MX$144

-17.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.73 MKD 302

$8.29 MX$145

-30.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.63 MKD 718

$11.10 MX$194

22.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.04 MKD 54.8

$2.65 MX$46.40

-60.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MKD 73.2

$1.50 MX$26.26

-7.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 MKD 65.5

$1.99 MX$34.79

-37.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MKD 83.8

$2.08 MX$36.33

-23.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 MKD 49.36

$1.79 MX$31.29

-47.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 MKD 38.60

$2.18 MX$38.09

-66.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 MKD 28.15

$1.08 MX$18.84

-50.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MKD 29.84

$1.04 MX$18.15

-45.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 MKD 150

$3.97 MX$69.5

-28.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.81 MKD 254

$10.20 MX$179

-52.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 MKD 51.0

$1.73 MX$30.22

-43.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 MKD 80.6

$2.50 MX$43.71

-38.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MKD 35.90

$0.52 MX$9.07

30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.01 MKD 1,055

$26.97 MX$472

-25.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 MKD 50.1

$3.14 MX$55.0

-69.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 MKD 17.30

$2.40 MX$42.04

-86.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 MKD 349

$3.09 MX$54.0

113.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 MKD 79.0

$1.27 MX$22.28

18.11%

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

$31.9K MKD 1.7M

$30.9K MX$540.4K

3.41%

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

$47.5K MKD 2.5M

$23.3K MX$408.0K

103.78%

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

$134 MKD 7,041

$82.0 MX$1,435

62.81%

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

$11.12 MKD 586

$22.45 MX$393

-50.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.29 MKD 806

$29.66 MX$519

-48.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.10 MKD 1,376

$51.9 MX$908

-49.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 MKD 254

$4.97 MX$87.0

-3.22%

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

$222 MKD 11.7K

$198 MX$3,462

12.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,184 MKD 62.4K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

-77.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.77 MKD 1,992

$36.34 MX$636

3.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.22 MKD 1,963

$40.05 MX$701

-7.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 MKD 4,020

$79.9 MX$1,398

-4.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MKD 5,948

$88.9 MX$1,555

26.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 MKD 14.9K

$963 MX$16.9K

-70.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 MKD 10.4K

$465 MX$8,133

-57.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$569 MKD 30.0K

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-64.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 MKD 16.4K

$1,209 MX$21.2K

-74.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,627 MKD 85.8K

$3,942 MX$69.0K

-58.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,207 MKD 63.6K

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-81.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$903 MKD 47.6K

$720 MX$12.6K

25.35%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $283 in Gostivar and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gostivar pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Gostivar vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $181 vs $251 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 56% 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 25% 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: $283 in Gostivar versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $822 per month in Gostivar versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gostivar runs roughly 35% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $822 in Gostivar versus $1,287 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 $822 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 56% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.